Nutbread recipe from Kentucky Shakers

Shakers were known for their industriousness and inventiveness, but they also were delightful cooks, believing that food should please the eye as well as the appetite.

Pleasant Hill, Ky., was a village of nearly 500 Shakers from 1805 until 1910. Today the small village is owned by Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, a nonprofit organization that seeks to maintain the simplicity and dignity of the 19 th-century settlement.

Exhibition houses and workshops furnished with original Shaker pieces are open to the public. Lodging and meals are available in restored buildings -- a perfect spot for a peaceful stay.

For more information, write Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Route 4, Harrodsburg , Ky. 40330.

Here is the recipe for one of the breads served to visitors to Pleasant Hill. Shaker recipes are distinguishable by their short list of ingredients and simplicity in preparation. Nutbread 2 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts 1 beaten egg 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup oil

Mix sifted dry ingredients and nuts together. Combine egg, applesauce, and oil; add these to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Pour mixture into 5 by 9-inch greased pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes.