Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread

A family favorite recipe came from a very unexpected source.  It was not from a magazine, a newspaper, a friend or another blog.  I never would have guessed that "my" Cranberry Bread recipe would/ could be found in a children's book!  It is true!  Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin is a treasured story that was written in 1971.  Quite a few years ago, in November, one of my son's brought a copy of the recipe home from elementary school.  His school librarian had read the story and also had given him and his classmates the recipe- just in case someone "might" want to bake it at home with a parent's help.

We were up for the challenge and baked a loaf.  The original recipe called for Raisins and Cranberries, but it was November.  We lived in Massachusetts.  For us Cranberry Bread needed to be all Cranberries!  It was and oh, it tasted so good!  Since baking that first loaf I have never used another recipe.  It is that good!  Fresh Cranberries flavored with Orange Juice taste so yummy!

This year before Thanksgiving I didn't have the opportunity to take out this recipe and bake a loaf.  However, yesterday I did.  The cranberries were cleaned and chopped.  The recipe was used again.

Cranberry Bread
     Adapted from Cranberry Thanksgiving 
             by Wende and Harry Devlin  

Ingredients:  
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Butter/ Margarine- softened
2 Egg Whites (or 1 Whole Egg), beaten
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 pkg. fresh Cranberries- rinsed in cold water and chopped

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with PAM.
3.  Rinse Cranberries in cold water (using a colander).
4.  Chop Cranberries coarsely.
5.  In a large bowl combine Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt and Baking Soda.
6.  Using a pasty blender (or 2 knives) cut Butter/ Margarine into combined dry ingredients- until  mixture is crumbly.
7.  Add Egg Whites (or Egg) and Orange Juice and stir until moist.
8.  Add chopped Cranberries to batter.  Fold in.
9.  Spoon batter into loaf pan.
10.  Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 5 Minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean  when inserted in middle.
11.  Cool on cooling rack for 10 Minutes.
12.  Remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.
13.  After cool, wrap in foil.

*Extra Hints 

• Wait at least 5 hours after baking to eat.
•  Use fresh Cranberries- not frozen.
• This bread does not freeze well.

I will be baking another Cranberry Bread before the New Year!  Will you be baking one, too??

Enjoy!
Yummy!