pudd'nhead

My respect for the Amish has just risen, and it's all due to an idea that may or may not have even started with them.


I know you've heard of Amish Friendship Bread, the chain letter of the baking world. Although I don't have the actual starter used for such breads, I do have Eb, and he hasn't let me down yet.

The most exciting thing for me about this notion of Amish Friendship Bread isn't the fact that you're supposed to pass some starter on to friends and neighbors. Nope, what thrills and interests me is the fact that pudding mix is involved in the recipe.

Does it add moistness or bulk, or is it merely there for a little extra flavor? After one go-round, my theory is that it's there for all of the above reasons. The bread is definitely moist and dense, more so than what I usually find in my sourdough breads. Further, the flavor provided by the pudding mix (coconut cream, in this fabulous case) was the best part of the final product as far as I'm concerned.


Good googa mooga...literally.

Heck, just think of the variations here! This time, I used coconut cream pudding, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips. Next time, I'd like to try butterscotch pudding with toffee bits and dark chocolate. There's banana cream pudding, oreo pudding, pistachio pudding, lemon pudding, white chocolate pudding, cheesecake pudding. So many nuts, so many baking chips, so many possibilities. Just thrilling.

This particular version was amazing--it disappeared so quickly at work that for a moment, I was afraid someone had just gone ahead and dumped it all in the trash (what can I say, that's the way my mind works). The macadamias provided a nice salty crunch, and the white chocolate chips were there for a pleasant burst of sweetness. As I'm a big fan of coconut (not only eating it, but also smelling like it--I consider it a wonderful incentive to wear sunscreen), the fact that its subtle but distinct flavor permeated the loaf was the best part for me.

Say...do the Amish even use store-bought pudding mixes?

Tropical Friendship Bread
(personalized from this recipe)

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce (I used Beech-nut Homestyle Cinnamon, Raisins & Pears)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant coconut cream pudding
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease down whatever molds you intend to use (I filled up 8 mini loaves).
In a large bowl, mix the oil, applesauce, eggs, milk, starter, vanilla, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pudding mix, nuts, and chips. Add this to the liquid mixture and stir thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until done. Apparently, this takes at least an hour for regular loaves, and took around 45 minutes for my mini loaves. Cool completely before slicing.