Cranberry Orange Bread

This is my favorite bread to make and give during the Holidays.  Cranberries and oranges always remind me of the Holidays, and when I bake up this bread my house smells like Christmas.  Cranberries and oranges are the perfect combination.  The citrus from the orange compliments the tartness of the cranberries, making each bite the perfect balance of sweet and tart. This bread is moist, full of flavor and a total crowd pleaser.  I love having this bread with a cup of tea as an afternoon snack, or with a slab of butter and some coffee in the morning.

Cranberry orange bread:

recipe from Joy of baking

• 1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 3/4 cup orange juice – you can use regular old orange juice or freshly squeezed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Optional – 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts – I did not use nuts as my kids are not big fans

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 x 3inch loaf pan.

Zest up your orange and rinse and coarsely chop up your cranberries.

In a small bowl, beat your egg.  Add in the 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cut the 4 tablespoons of cold butter into small pieces, and blend it into the flour mixture using a pastry blender.

The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.

Then fold in the chopped cranberries (and nuts if you’re using them).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.   I was surprised at how easily my bread came out of the pan.

Slice it up and slather on some butter or just enjoy it plain.  It’s the perfect compliment to a cup of joe or tea.  The tartness of the cranberries combined with the sweetness of the citrus is amazing and it just melts in your mouth.