Cranberry-Orange Christmas Bread
The source for today’s recipe is ROMANTIC HOMES Magazine. Love this magazine! Back to the recipe: Flavorful, healthy, and moist. Pops with orange zest. At first glance, this recipe appears too sugary. The bread is not overly sweet at all. Cranberries give a tart taste while orange juice/zest adds a burst of flavor. Very affordable recipe to bake this time of year. Organic cranberries are on sale for $1.50 a bag at Kroger and organic oranges are on sale at Earthfare! Great presentation for entertaining!! Perfect party pleaser!!!
Yields: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- Bread Loaf
- 1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange (save 1 tsp for glaze)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 TBSP fresh orange juice (from orange)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh, chopped cranberries (or 1/2 cup of dried cranberries)
- Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1+1/2 TBSP fresh orange juice (from tested orange)
- 1 tsp fresh orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray loaf pan(s) with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and fresh orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the two together until the sugar becomes fragrant and turns a very pale shade of orange. (this is my favorite part! It's so fragrant and smells soooo good!) Whisk the sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the wet ingredients. Whisk together until combined thoroughly.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in the cranberries using a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).
- Bake according to the pan size you've selected (see below) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If necessary, loosely drape a piece of tin foil over the loaf pan to prevent over-browning during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the bread from the the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Loosen the bread from the sides of the cavity using a knife or small spatula. Carefully lift and remove the loaf from the pan. Cool it completely on the wire rack.
- Prepare the orange glaze while the loaf cools. Combine the powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a small bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth. Add more orange juice if necessary until an icing consistency is reached. Use a spoon or small whisk to drizzle the glaze onto the cooled bread. Slice and serve.
- If packaging for food gifts, allow the glaze to dry and harden (20-30 minutes) before wrapping in plastic wrap. Bread can be stored for two to three days in an airtight container or in plastic wrap. Makes (A) 1 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf pan (I used something similar to this Wilton Medium Loaf Pan) (B) or 1 - 9 cavity 2 1/2" x 3 3/8" petite loaf pan (I used this Wilton 9-cavity petite loaf pan) Baking Times (may vary depending on finish of loaf pans) (A) - 70-75 minutes (B) - 20-30 minute
- Total time: 30 minutes