Gumdrop Bread

Ready for some more retro holiday baking? During our trip to the US a few weeks ago, I picked up two bags of Christmas-themed red and green gum drops ("spice drops" to be precise) thinking that maybe I'd use them as decoration for the gingerbread house I had intended to make last year but couldn't (first trimester nauseousness and a sudden repulsion to spices derailed my plans). But once I got home and I started putting up our holiday decorations, this crazy idea to make gumdrop bread instead popped into my head.

I remember making gumdrop bread only once -- also around Christmastime -- when I was very young and still in preschool. I took home a slice for my mother, but my sweet tooth told hold and I ended up eating all of the gumdrops out of it before giving it to her. Funny how our tastes change, because this time around I picked out the gumdrops to get to the bread!

I loved looking at the cross-sections of the bread and seeing where the gumdrops ended up. I'm not too surprised that I haven't seen gumdrop bread outside of my preschool days because it seems to be a dessert that kids, moreso than adults, would enjoy. A version using multi-colored gumdrops would be fun for a child's -- or a candy addict's -- birthday party.

Gumdrop Bread

Adapted from Cooks.com

Yield: 10-12 servings

3 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 cup cut-up gum drops

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil.

3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Add in the gumdrops and pour into a greased loaf or bundt pan.

4. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Bread is done when an inserted toothpick or skewer comes out clean.