Cherry Eggnog Tea Bread

Here is today's second tea bread recipe and I have to tell you that I have NEVER smelled a batter as divine as this one.  Please don't let the initial pictures scare you off, I really didn't kill anything, honest.

Cherry Eggnog Tea Bread (also Pampered Chef)

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Chop maraschino cherries to measure 3/4 cup.  Place on paper towel to drain.

With another paper towel, pat cherries to remove as much juice as possible.

Let set on a clean, new paper towel.

If you only use ONE fresh spice, make it nutmeg.  It's easy, stores well and doesn't require a fancy, expensive grinder.

Grate until you have 3/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

Now, let's get started putting this together.  In small bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, the nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Mix well

In another mixing bowl, add 1 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup butter, softened.

Beat on high speed of mixer until mixture is light and fluffy.

On medium speed, add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until blended.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture

Beat on low speed just until combined.

Beat in 1/2 cup eggnog

Add another one third of the flour mixture and mix in on low speed

Another 1/2 cup of eggnog and mix on low speed

Add the remaining flour mixture, beating just until combined.

This is where the smell takes me to another place.  It's simply divine.

Gently Stir cherries into batter, pour batter into pan.  (I kind of dropped the ball with pictures at this stage -- something must have distracted me.)  Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.

Loosen sides of loaf, remove from pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.

For glaze, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3-4 teaspoons of eggnog until smooth; drizzle half of mixture over cooled loaf.  Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup toasted sliced natural almonds. Drizzle remaining glaze over almonds.  Cut into slices using a serrated knife.

Enjoy.