Chocolate Pear and Pecan Bread - Whole Grain Gourmet

What's this all about?

We love whole grains! We have found that we prefer their flavor. They are also far healthier than the refined foods which characterize the typical modern diet.

Switching to whole grains helps maintain a low glycemic diet. That means you will have more sustainable energy levels throughout the day, and probably fewer problems with weight control.

We created this website with one goal: to build an online community of like-minded people who either share our enthusiasm about whole grains or just want to learn more about them.

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Bread

Chocolate Pear and Pecan Bread

Written by Whole Grain Gourmet

Friday, 01 August 2008 00:00

chocolate pear and pecan bread

If you have tried our banana bread, then you will probably understand why it is the most frequently baked item in our home. We absolutely love it. Yet, there are times when we seek a change of pace. Lately this is the recipe we find ourselves turning to. Valrhona cocoa, ripe pears, cinnamon, and lemon zest combine to create a flavor that is at once exotic and familiar.

This bread bakes up moist and delicious. Like our banana bread recipe, it is lower in sugar and added fat than most conventional recipes. It is also healthier because it is made with whole grain flour and organic sugar. This in no way compromises flavor or texture.

We recently shared this bread with friends at a picnic. They loved it as much as we do. We hope you enjoy it as well. It pairs well with a warm cup of spiced chai.

Chocolate Pear and Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp high quality cocoa, we use valrhona

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 cup grated ripe peeled pears
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Yummy Ingredients

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lighly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until until just combined.
Add the pecans and mix briefly to distribute evenly. Do not over mix.
Spread the batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (test for doneness being careful not to overbake as it may dry out the bread)
Place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Remove bread from pan and return bread to rack to cool completely.
The bread will moisten considerably overnight.

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Comments (6)

Oh my goodness, does this look good! I can't wait!!! And... my, oh my, have your recipes been awesome! The Banana Bread..YUM! Multigrain Chocolate Chip Cookies with the millet...off the chain as my kids would say! Multigrain Indulgence...WOW!!! The Almond Fig Cake...awww...delish! Multigrain Energy Bars...sooo good! And now this one...
I just can't wait! You have out done yourself with these recipes. I tell everyone about this site and how good everything has been. Gee...I still have so many other things to try too. :)

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement, teachypeachy! We were thrilled to read your feedback today. It really motivates us to keep working in the kitchen.

Wow! this bread looks just great. The list of the ingrediant sound very intersting. do you think that this kind of bread will be good as a light after dinner snack?

This looks wonderful. I have bookmarked. I am going to try it with gluten-free flour. Thanks for the recipe.

I was one of the lucky ones at the picnic...WOW, so yummy. The lemon zest is an interesting taste when paired with the cinamon. VERY, very good.

I have a ton of pears to use up and this sounds wonderful!

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