Well, “by popular demand” I’m venturing into recipe sharing, although like many cooks, most of my recipes have evolved from tinkering with the ideas of others.  Anyway, here’s a recipe for a holiday quick bread that I’ve made for quite some years now and distributed to various friends, co-workers, and family members.  This year it was included in the baskets that I prepared for family members that included only food and other items produced locally in our area.  (For the record, these included, in addition to Bourbon Pecan Bread, jams from “Grandma Wood’s Kitchen,” Merlot and Chardonnay Vinegars from Virginia Vinegar Works, locally grown and milled cornmeal and whole wheat flour from Amherst Milling Company, artisanal natural soaps and cremes,  local honey from Hungry Hill Farm, and tins of homemade lemon squares.

Bourbon Pecan Xmas Bread Recipe

Recipe

Mix together in a large bowl:

6 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Toss with a little of the flour mixture in another bowl:

3 cups coarsely-chopped pecans
3 cups light and dark raisins

Cream until light in a large mixing bowl:

1  1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
3 cups sugar

Add:

8 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup bourbon

Add flour mixture gradually to egg mixture and blend together

Fold in pecans and raisins.  Batter will be fairly thick.

Use two large and one medium teflon loaf pans (well-greased or sprayed) or one large and three medium loaf pans.

Cook at 325 degrees for about an hour (less for smaller pans), until testing stick comes out clean.  Beware of overcooking; breads seem to continue cooking a bit after removal from oven.  Turn breads onto cooling racks.

When cool, wrap with cheesecloth and brush with bourbon until damp.  Wrap with foil and store in cool place.  Repeat cheesecloth brushing with bourbon periodically if desired.