HICKORY NUT BREAD

Those of you who follow this blog know I was born and raised in Indiana where native hickory trees were prevelent.  Hickory nuts were our favorite nut of choice for baking and making candy.  It was a Fall tradition to go pick up hickory nuts and spend long cold evenings around the heater cracking the nuts and picking the meats out.  We didn't mind or consider it work.  It was just something my sister and I knew we were expected to do.  Dad would use his smaller hammer to crack the nuts on a rock.  My mother, sister, and I would pick out the nutmeats.  And then we would get some special treats such as a hickory nut pie (like a pecan pie), fudge with hickory nuts and sometimes wonderful Hickory-Nut Bread.  If you don't have hickory nuts in your area, use pecans.  That is what I do now that I live in Texas which is pecan country.

1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. margarine, melted (you know I now use butter)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup hickory nut pieces

Beat the egg and mix with the brown sugar, margarine, and milk.  Add the flour and baking powder.  Stir in vanilla and mix well.  Add the nuts and stir.  Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.  Bake in loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Hickory Nuts

Note: This is a recipe from my old fashion recipes blog.