Cranberry Orange Loaf

Happy New Year, everyone! I know that the holidays have wrapped up and we are heading into a bland, cold, desolate month and a half until the next spot of brightness, Valentine's Day. That in mind, I needed something warm and sweet to keep me feeling festive for just one more day while I kissed the holiday season goodbye.  Then came this cranberry orange bread and I felt better.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
zest from one orange
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts, or 1/2 cup of each
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 325.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Fold in cranberries, orange zest, and nuts and set aside.  Beat butter and sugar 3-5 minutes, then mix in egg.  Stir in orange juice and then fold in flour mixture just until incorporated.  Prepare a loaf pan by greasing it with butter then dusting it with flour. Spread batter in pan and bake at 325 for one hour. Cool for ten minutes before turning out, then cool for another thirty minutes before glazing.  For glaze, mix 3 Tbsp powdered sugar with one teaspoon vanilla extract.  Slowly mix in a little bit of water until it reaches desired consistency.  I think I used 1 Tbsp water then ended up adding in a few pinches of powdered sugar.  Drizzle over the top of the loaf.

All in all, this bread was really a tasty treat and would make a great breakfast with some hot tea and honey.  I do think that next time I'll add 1/2 a cup of sour cream into the wet batter for a little more moistness, but it was delicious just as it is.

And Brooklyn loved it. Always a win in my book.