This simple bowl-and-spoon cranberry bread recipe is a great way to use up leftover holiday cranberries and nuts to enjoy later. It was easy to begin with, but in making it healthier by using oil instead of butter, I eliminated the need for a hand mixer or even any heavy beating with a wooden spoon. That change also makes this pareve for those who keep kosher.
Like all quick breads this freezes well, sliced or whole, and even though the berries and nuts can be frozen on their own, their quality after being frozen is higher when used in baked goods. There’s plenty of winter ahead — the season is only two weeks old — and that means a lot of coffee and tea. A slice of this is perfect with either and I like the thought of it waiting in the freezer.
And for Eastern Orthodox friends, whose liturgical calendar sets Christmas on January 7, this makes a lovely holiday bread. Merry Christmas!
The Easiest Cranberry Bread
Adapted from Ocean Spray
2 cups/250g all-purpose flour
1 cup/200g sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 oz/180 mL orange juice*
1 TB grated orange peel
2 TB canola or vegetable oil
1 large egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups/165g fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup/60g chopped walnuts or pecans
*I squeeze juice from one orange, which doesn’t yield quite enough. I make up the difference with water.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F/180C/Gas 4. Spray or grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients, flour through baking soda, and stir to distribute. Add the orange juice, grated peel, oil and egg and stir well to blend. Stir in the chopped berries and nuts.
Scrape the batter into the pan and bake approximately 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [55 minutes is perfect in my oven ~ ella] Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.
For maximum flavor, wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Ella’s Tips: To freeze and refresh, wrap tightly in foil and then in plastic wrap. Let defrost without unwrapping. If you wish to refresh the thawed bread, remove only the plastic wrap and put in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
No comments yet on this one? Even counting getting my hands on some cranberries, it was easy and quick to prepare. I toasted the pecans slightly before adding, and increased the orange peel by half.
And now, just ten minutes out of the oven, it’s delicious. I made it for Mom, but I haven’t told her about it yet. Hmmmmm…….
shoreacres’s last blog post..An Equality of Joy
Hi, shore! I’m glad it’s a hit. The simplest recipes are usually the best. Very smart to toast the nuts and I usually use more zest too. I always do with the Orange Cranberry Scones I posted before we found each other’s blogs. It uses dried crannies and I posted the cut-down version I use that makes only 4 good-sized scones. Just enough to eat them up before they go stale and crumbly.
I hope your mom liked it too! You could gild the lily if you make it again by adding a lemon or orange glaze but that’s a bit too much sugar for my taste. I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
Thanks for the feedback and good to see you!