Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Cranberry Nut Bread

This bread is a classic for this time of year.
Though substantial on its own, I enjoy it with slivers of cold, salted butter.
I happened to receive the recipe today on a "Happy Thanksgiving" postcard from a lovely lady friend. The recipe is also printed on bags of Ocean Spray Cranberries.
The difference between the postcard recipe and bag recipe: card calls for shortening while bag used vegetable oil. The card calls for 1 cup of roughly chopped cranberries while the bag, 1 1/2 cups. The more the merrier, right?
The recipe is for one loaf in a 9 x 5 x 3" pan. Instead I used 2 8 x 3.5 x 2" pans and the same bake time of one hour. I thought they may be done (tops were browned) after 45 minutes but they didn't pass the toothpick test (batter stuck to it).
Didn't measure the zest, just grated a whole orange into the flour mix. Juiced it and got 1/2 cup from one orange. Supplemented with oj from the fridge.
Measure and wash your cranberries. Be sure to remove soft (rotting) berries as you chop them. There weren't many. I have such fond memories of picking and eating them from the woods behind my childhood home, in Hell Swamp.
The stand mixer allows for quick prep but this can easily be made by hand mixing.
Cranberry Nut Bread
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening or vegetable oil
3/4 c. orange juice
1 tb. grated orange rind
1 egg well beaten
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans are my preference)
1 1/2 c. fresh cranberries, washed and coarsely chopped

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Grate in orange rind.
Combine orange juice and egg, pour into dry ingredients, mixing enough just to dampen.
Carefully fold in nuts and berries (mix as minimally as possible).
Pour evenly into pan(s).
Bake at preheated 350ยบ oven for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean when stuck in center.
Remove from pan and cool. Store overnight for easy slicing.