Cantaloupe Bread with Vanilla Glaze

cantaloupequickbread Here's a different and delicious way to use some of the sweetest bounty summer has to offer. Cantaloupe. A delicious quick bread to add to your rotation.

3 large eggs
1 cup Canola oil or coconut oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups cantaloupe, puréed
3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger

Vanilla Glaze:
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
enough milk to make a thick glaze

To bring out even more sweetness of the cantaloupe, cut it into pieces, place the pieces on a wax paper lined baking sheet or plate and place in the freezer. Run the frozen cantaloupe through a blender and continue with the recipe.

As with all quick breads and muffins, be careful not to over-mix the batter. This can make the finished bread tough.

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Lightly grease and flour two 9x5” loaf pans.

Purée enough cantaloupe in blender to make 2 cups purée.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and cantaloupe purée. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Do not overwork the batter, stir just until no traces of flour remain. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Add the vanilla to the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Stir in milk, one Tbsp. at a time, until a thick glaze is reached. When you lift the whisk, it should fall in an even stream and form a ribbon before disappearing.

Remove bread loaves from the oven and place on cooling racks. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Place wax paper under cooling rack to catch the drips. Pour the glaze over both warm loaves, covering the tops of both. The glaze will drip down the sides and drip onto the wax paper. Let cool at least one hour before serving.

Makes 20 servings.