This “quick bread” recipe has become one of my favorite go-to’s for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe is part of my holiday dessert table every year. “Quick breads” are pretty self-explanatory–they are called quick because they are relatively quick to make. Quick bread loaves use baking powder or baking soda for leavening agents instead of yeast. The floral aroma of the orangy citrus and tangy cranberries is the perfect complement to a turkey dinner feast. I usually make several loaves and share them at my workplace, with friends, family, and neighbors. It freezes very well too, so make it in advance, seal, and freeze until needed, and it will be one less thing to stress about when you are busy cooking for a crowd. The fresh cranberries and orange zest are the stars of this show, however, the buttermilk is the unsung hero that makes this dessert bread so delicious, in my humble opinion.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup buttermilk, chilled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice ( I have also used store bought {Tropicana} orange juice with good success!)
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about half of 1 orange)
- 1½ cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
Orange Zest glaze (optional):
While this bread can stand alone without any glaze, I prefer to add it as a sweet, decorative finish, especially when serving it for the holidays.
1 cup confectioners sugar
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to *375 degrees F. Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
*I bake this at 350 degrees on the convection setting of my oven
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, egg, buttermilk, melted butter, orange juice, and orange zest; whisk together until well blended. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended. Add cranberries and nuts; lightly stir to mix in.
- Pour batter in the loaf pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and let cool about 15 minutes. Grabbing the top edges of the parchment paper, lift bread from loaf pans and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Remove parchment paper and discard.
Testing for doneness: Use the baking times given in the recipe as an estimate as some ovens bake faster or slower than others. Insert a wooden toothpick or long wooden skewer near the center of the bread and remove it. There should be a few moist crumbs attached to the toothpick or skewer, but not batter.
To make the glaze:
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, add the zest of one orange, orange juice vanilla, and milk. Stir until it reaches a smooth consistency. If the glaze is not thin enough, stir in an additional 1-2 teaspoons of milk.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Photo Credit: Rose Kesting
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