Fresh Mango Bread

There are a few things you need to know about me.

1. The Three Stooges scare me. (this will always be number one on every list)

2. I'm totally going to name my daughter Basil. Or Butter. Or Bacon. Definitely Bacon.

4. If my life was spent watching the Lion King with a tub of chocolate ice cream and frozen cool whip, I'd be insanely content.

5. After eating nine muffins I sometimes go into a muffin coma and the only thing that can bring me out of it is the smell of fresh baked bread. Major yum.

6. Some days, I (and the rest of the teenage world) don't feel like waking up and playing a part in the production of life. Life can be stupid. Boring. Not nearly as exciting as dreaming about black and white replays of the Berenstein Bear's in Central park doing the polka and offering gifts of expensive looking leather dictionaries and non-stick cookie sheets. This happened.

To pull yourself out of this magical state how bout knocking the socks off those slightly creepy fluffy animals with thoughts of this Fresh Mango Bread, warm from the oven with a mug of hot black tea and honey with a splash of cream? They won't know what hit them.

This bread is delicious and warm and not overly sweet. Because of the whole wheat flour it has a different texture than most bread, and while it's still very moist it crumbles a little when you cut it, not to mention the large slices of mango every other bite that add a juicy, delicious balance to the bread. Feel free to make this earlier in the week and then enjoy it for breakfast, or maybe even make two loaves and freeze one for future munching.

Fresh Mango Bread

adapted from Joy the Baker

makes one 8 1/2x 4 1/2 loaf pan

3 eggs

3/4 cup of milk

2 1/2 half cups of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1 or 2 peeled, pitted and diced mangos

1 peeled, grated apple

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking pan. 

Whisk the eggs and the oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. 

Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.  

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended- the batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter) and not easily mixed, but persevere, it will soon come together.  

Stir in the mango, apples, raisins and zest. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover loosely with aluminum foil.  

Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes before running a knife around the edges. Cool for 15 minutes more before removing from pan.