Cranberry nut bread

When I was a kid my neighbor introduced me to this bread and baked it around Christmas time every year.  I remember licking the bowl and loving the sweet, nutty, orange flavor.  It was my absolute favorite and I always looked forward to helping her make it.  One day I finally asked her for the recipe ( I thought she was the only one in the world who had it) and started making it our own family tradition to serve for Christmas morning.  When I grew up and got married I realized I had lost the recipe and scoured the Internet to find something similar.  It took about a minute to realize this wasn't a secret family recipe at all.  It was the same exact recipe on the back of a bag of Ocean Spray Cranberries my neighbor had been using all along.  Now I bake it for my family with out fail every Holiday season.  This recipe makes one loaf. I  double it and bake two...one for Thanksgiving and then I freeze the other to have ready for Christmas morning.  It's a wonderful,  fragrant and tasty bread that will brighten your Holiday meal.  Try it if you haven't already...you'll be hooked.

First rinse your beautiful, ruby red cranberries. Just the sight of them reminds me of Thanksgiving.

 Take a close look at them and remove all the bad ones.  These are soft and squishy..not good.

The recipe calls for slicing each end off and then cutting each cranberry into fourths.  Seriously?

SO not necessary to take up all your precious shopping, baking and eating time during the Holidays.  

Just grab your Pampered chef food chopper and chop away.   

(Lisa Arthur in Fredericksburg VA is a great rep...CONTACT HER HERE )

Mix all dry ingredients and make a well in the center.

Add all your wet ingredients including the orange zest.  If you need a good zester..check HERE

Now for the goods!  The sweet and tart cranberries and earthy walnuts make a wonderful marriage to this already amazing bread.  So many flavors and scents and lots of color.  

Making this will put you in the Holiday spirit. Guaranteed!

Happy Baking!

Cranberry nut bread

(From Ocean Spray)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).