Mom’s Cranberry Walnut Bread

A great seasonal quick bread made with cranberries and walnuts and fresh burst of Orange Juice.  This cranberry bread has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for years.

There isn’t a holiday that I can’t remember this bread being a staple on our dining room table.  I look so forward to the first bite into this bread filled with cranberries and walnuts with a slathering of butter on top!   Some years I think I savor it more than the turkey itself.

It is a classic quick bread and very easy to make.  Fall is really the best time of year to make this it because the cranberries, oranges and walnuts are all in season.

I will forewarn you on two things.  The first is it can be a bit of a pain to cut the cranberries in half because they roll around on the counter.  You can certainly put them in a food processor if you don’t mind them not being uniformly cut in half.

My method is just to get a very sharp small knife and cut one at a time.  It only calls for a cup so it doesn’t take THAT long.  But if I’m in a rush I will use the food processor, it does get a little noisy though.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CRANBERRY BREAD

• Dry ingredients – Flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Wet ingredients – Honey, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and melted unsalted butter.
• Berries – either fresh or frozen!

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY BREAD

• Once you’ve got all your cranberries set aside sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and very gently fold it all together.  This will take some muscle and I have broken a wooden spoon or two doing this.  But the key is to not overmix!
• Bake it in the oven for approx. 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I think what I like the most about this bread is it isn’t doughy or soft, it has a different texture all together.  It’s firm, yet soft, fresh and all the ingredients are so flavorful on the tongue.

There’s nothing I don’t like about this bread.  I hope you enjoy one of our treasured family recipes.

Mom’s Cranberry Walnut Bread

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• Author: Debi

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Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Unbleached Flour (I use Bob Mils)
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

WET INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
• Grated Orange Zest
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup Fresh Cranberries, cut in half or chopped in food processor
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts, chopped

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Instructions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a loaf pan with non cooking spray (and/or line it with parchment paper)
3. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the cranberries and stir.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg and add the remaining wet ingredients.
5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix using a strong rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Be careful not to overmix.  Gently stir in the walnuts.
6. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan with the spatula and even out.
7. Bake for 50-55 min, check for doneness by inserting a knife into the center of the bread.
8. Allow to cool and cut into even slices.  This can be served as is or with cream cheese or butter.