Saturday, November 19, 2011

Cranberry Nut Bread

Please visit Beth Fish Reads for more food related postings this weekend.



I can still remember the first time I tasted cranberry bread. One Thanksgiving when I was a little girl our next-door neighbor gave us a loaf, and I thought I'd died and gone to eating heaven. I loved it. I'd only known cranberries in a jellied sort of wiggly food at Thanksgiving tables. But this, oh, it was sublime, and I feel the same way all these years later. Here is a very basic and delicious recipe which I found online.

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries

3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the chopped cranberries and walnuts to coat with the flour mixture.
Mix together orange juice, sugar, butter, and egg.
Add to the flour and cranberry-nut mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. (I used the mixer)
Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes (keep your eye on it - mine took a bit less time) or until done - a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

33 comments:

  1. Nan,
    This looks so good! I am going to make it and I am going to make mine gluten free! I'll just use a combination of rice flour and cornstarch for the flour, and pecans instead of walnuts. Should be good! Thank you!

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  2. It's that orange juice that helps elevate this recipe. I love the combination of orange and cranberry.

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  3. Kay, I think I asked you before but have you ever used Bob's Red Mill - Garbanzo and Fava Flour? This company has a whole line of gluten-free products. More here:

    http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free/

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  4. Looks delicious, nice and moist! Would love a big slice, cranberries and walnuts, so good!

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  5. I wish I liked cranberries... I wonder if I could substitute raspberries.

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  6. Dear Nan,
    Oh yes, I love Bob's Red Mill...that is the brand of rice flour that I use! I have tried to use the flours made from beans but my husband doesn't tolerate the "beany" flours very well. which is frustrating since they are higher in fiber. Oh well, just have to make sure he gets plenty of nuts!
    But Nan, I can't thank you enough for thinking of me... every time I read a recipe, I think, "Hmmm, can I make this gluten-free? Most of of the time, I can!" (Ha, remember being told as a kid, "American ends in I CAN", don't hear that much these days!)

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  7. I haven't made cranberry bread in such a long time. The first time I made it was when I taught first grade and I read Cranberry Thanksgiving to the class. There was a recipe like yours at the end and we made cranberry bread from it as a class. What fun it was. I may have to revive that soon. Thank you, Nan.

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  8. Carol, it takes no time at all to make!

    Les, Margaret doesn't like them either. You might want a different recipe for raspberries because of all the orange juice in this one. You could click the 'recipes' tab and look under 'fruit desserts' for some ideas.

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  9. Kay, I've never heard that. It should be brought back. We need it. :<)

    Penny, I know that book! In fact, I went looking for it yesterday when I decided I wanted to make cranberry bread. I must have given the book away, but isn't that just amazing. Wow. I read it to either the first or second grade of one of my kids as a parent volunteer. I can't remember if I actually made them some bread or not. Seems like I did.

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  10. This looks quick, easy, and delicious... all qualities in demand for this busy week!

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  11. JoAnn, I think that most of the things I bake fit those three things!

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  12. Nan, this is my great aunt's recipe too! Some years I have used leftover cranberry sauce instead of fresh cranberries, reducing the sugar just a little. Works fine. - Fay

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  13. Fay, that's so nice to hear. I felt it had a kind of timeless feel to it - easy, but very good.

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  14. First of all, I love the header picture. I'd love be sitting there.

    Your cranberry bread sounds delicious. How wonderful that it started as a gift during your childhood. A gift that has kept on giving.

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  15. I know I left a comment earlier saying how much I love cranberries and orange so the orange juice would make this wonderful.

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  16. Margot, I love Carl Larsson's interiors, and his views of family.

    It's true about the cranberry bread.

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  17. I love the tartness of the cranberries. Could eat a cake/bread such as this every week and not tire of it one bit.

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  18. I'm the same way, Heather - just the same way I like lemon juice! I just had some maple walnut cranberry fudge which was delish!

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  19. Oh my this looks wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with us! I love cranberries!

    Happy weekend to you!

    Smiles♥

    Beverly

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  20. I've never had cranberry bread. And I love cranberries. This looks so easy and delicious I'm going to have to try it. Would go nicely with Thanksgiving Dinner.

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  21. Cranberry/orange is such a great combo; looks like it uses less oil, too. yum!

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  22. Cranberry nut bread is one of my favourites. I do not put in OJ-I use cranberry sauce and whole cranberries-last time I mixed whole wheat and white.

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  23. Beth F. [I just found BOTH your comments in the spam folder.]
    I think the oj balances the tartness of the cranberries.

    Me, too, Beverly!

    Leslie, it really is very easy with most satisfying results!

    Dawn, my recipes always use less oil because I use butter. :<) There isn't so much inside so you won't feel badly buttering it when it is cooked.

    Esme, I used half white and half whole wheat pastry, and it was just fine.

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  24. Like the sound of this bread very much, do you think I could use dried cranberries?
    I'll give it a try and let you know.

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  25. Love cranberry nut bread, and I also have a very delicious recipe for cranberry scones...with a mere 8 T of butter. Oh, dear. Anyway, I'm also here to say I'm so very glad that you're participating in the Venice in February challenge!! We'll have a lot of fun together.

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  26. Maggie, I'll be waiting to hear. :<) I've never used dried cranberries so I'll be interested.

    Bellezza, I'm looking forward to it!

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  27. Hmmm this looks great! I never had anything like this. In the Netherlands we don't celebrate thanksgiving but still I want to give this a go :)

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  28. Uniflame, you sure don't need Thanksgiving to enjoy cranberry breads or desserts!!

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  29. Cranberry and nuts are just so AUTUMN! I definitely love the sound of this bread and would love to have a loaf scenting my oven and my kitchen right now!

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  30. I make a cranberry bread that's very similar to your recipe--including the orange! My teenager LOVES it... I'm surprised she hasn't asked me for it yet. ; )

    I kind of like the idea of making it in an 8x8 pan. I always use a loaf pan. Hmm..

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  31. Heather, I so love cranberries! Hope you can make it soon.

    Christine, I've so often had failures with a 9x5 loaf pan that I've given up. Any quick bread I've made in it has been soggy in the middle. I'm much happier making squares in an 8x8, 7x11, or 9x13.

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  32. Hi Nan,
    Wanted to let you know I made your Cranberry Nut Bread for Thanksgiving... it was delicious! The recipe is a keeper. Thanks.

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  33. Aren't you so nice to let me know, JoAnn. I love the sharing of recipes that goes on in the blogging world.

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