Big Sur Carrot Tangerine Bread

Adapted from Tom Reilly, a staff baker in Esalen Institute’s famous kitchen while he was a Work Scholar and student there for a year and a half. When he introduced this sweet bread recipe from "The Bread Bible" he was besieged with requests to make it often – 30 loaves at a time! I lived off and on at Esalen Institute for several years during the early 70's. oh, the stories I could tell! A little history: Founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of what "Brave New World" author Aldous Huxley called the "human potential," Esalen has attracted free-thinking philosophers, creative artists, top-notch body workers and nervous wrecks in need of Gestalt therapy for the past 40 years.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 4  eggs
• 2  cups sugar
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  tablespoons tangerine juice
• 1  tangerine, zest of
• 2  cups  finely grated raw carrots

• May add in one or all

• 1⁄2 cup  shredded coconut (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup  diced  dried apricot (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup  nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Grease and flour 2 bread pans.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
4. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and light colored.
5. Add oil and beat hard until volume is doubled.
6. Add vanilla, tangerine juice and zest;
7. fold in grated carrots.
8. Stir dry ingredients into wet and continue stirring until smooth and well combined.
9. You may enhance the flavor by adding ½ cup: shredded coconut, diced dry apricots, raisins or nuts (finely chopped).
10. Fill pans no more than 2/3 full and bake 50–60 minutes.
11. Let stand in pans for 10 minutes – cool on sides completely.
12. Wrap tightly in plastic or place in air-tight plastic bag and let stand at room temperature overnight before slicing – this will retain moistness and extend life. Enjoy!