Grandmas Nut Bread Recipe

Here is my beloved 95 year old grandma. She can beat you like the best of them at Rummikub and Skip-Bo and she bakes up some of the most delicious baked goods you’ll ever taste. In my eyes, she is one of the best bakers in the world. Today, I’m excited to share a recipe with you that she is known for – her crunchy walnut bread!

Friends, this is not your typical quick bread. The recipe contains no oil and crunches up in the oven like biscotti. The inside is slightly soft and sweet with crispy chunks of walnuts throughout. According to grandma, you always toast the bread after slicing it and you always serve it with butter. Believe me, grandma is an expert! For some thirty years, my grandma baked up hundreds of these scrumptious walnut breads and gave them to any blessed person who stopped by for a visit, helped her with a chore, or well, just lived nearby. She would make several batches at a time and freeze them so she’d be ready. I can’t even count the number of times we’d pull out of the driveway and get a call from her saying “I forgot to give you your walnut bread!” We’d turn around every time. This bread is that good!

Two years ago, grandma moved to an assisted living center with full meal service and sadly, could no longer bake her walnut bread. It finally dawned on me to start making it for my own friends and family. She had given me the recipe years ago and alas I rolled up my sleeves up and got to work. But oh, how smart you are grandma! With only 7 simple ingredients and no mixer required, this recipe couldn’t be easier. In five minutes, the bread was mixed and in another 50 minutes, I had hot, golden brown walnut bread sitting on my counter ready to be sliced, toasted, buttered and savored. We enjoy grandma’s walnut bread for breakfast, for a snack or as a side to soups or salads. I’ve started teaching my five year old daughter how to make it. Grandma, thanks to you, we will be enjoying this bread for years to come.

Are you ready to make grandma’s crunchy walnut bread with me?

Grandma’s walnut bread has 7 simple ingredients that you probably have on hand… Flour, egg, sugar, milk, walnuts, salt and baking powder. You’ll also need a standard size bread pan, bowl, whisk and measuring cups. That’s it!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour your bread or loaf pan. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Next, whisk together 1 cup milk (any kind) and 1 egg in a separate bowl or cup. Then stir your milk and egg mixture into your flour mixture until combined. The batter will be thick!

Coarsely chop shelled walnuts until you have 1 cup. You can also use pre-chopped walnuts here if you prefer.

Stir the walnuts into the batter and spread it into your prepared pan.

Bake it for 50 minutes – 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. You will be amazed at how high the bread rises out of the pan. It is quite the hearty loaf! The outside will be crunchy and will have at least one crack at the top. Give it a couple minutes and then remove the bread to a cooling rack.

Once cooled (or slightly cooled :)) slice it up, toast it in the toaster and spread with real butter. You can also freeze the bread for later enjoyment or give it away the next time someone stops for a visit, helps with a chore or well, just lives nearby. Grandma, thanks for teaching me not only how to appreciate the art of great baking with great recipes, but also how delicious baked goods from our kitchen can be a blessing to others. I love you!

Enjoy!

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