Christmas Cooking For Dummies
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Cranberry bread has become a Christmas tradition. This cranberry bread is the easiest bread you’ll ever make. Double the recipe, so you make extra loaves for gifts. To make it a family Christmas activity, let the kids help measure and stir.

Cranberry-Orange Quick bread

Special equipment: 9 x 5-inch loaf pan

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf, 12 slices

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup orange juice

Grated zest of one orange

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan with pan coating and lightly coat with flour.

  2. Whisk together the buttermilk, orange juice, zest, and melted butter. Whisk in the egg.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently stir in the cranberries (unthawed if bought frozen) and nuts.

  4. Scrape the batter into a loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. When the bread is done, a toothpick will come out clean when it’s inserted into the center, the top will be golden and risen, and the edges will just be pulling away from the sides of the pan.

  5. Cool the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then turn the bread out and cool completely on a rack. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature at least overnight before slicing. It needs to rest so that the texture can come together.

Per serving: Calories 245 (From Fat 136); Fat 14g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 34mg; Sodium 178mg; Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 4g.

Any buttermilk will work, but low fat, as opposed to non-fat, is preferable.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Dede Wilson, CCP, contributes to Bon Appétit and Pastry and Design magazine and to NBC's Todayshow. She is also the Food and Entertaining expert for CanDoWoman.com.

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