Cranberry Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

I love to bake breads, and this is one of my favorites to make. It's especially great around this time of year when fresh cranberries are in abundance.

I doubled my normal recipe so I could make two loaves (one for me, one to freeze for the relatives around Christmas), so that is why there is so much of each ingredient. To make just one loaf, divide the recipe in half.

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for your pan)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 cups orange juice
2 cups cranberries (fresh is best)
2 cups chopped walnuts.

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Butter and flour a loaf pan (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch) so the bread won't stick.

Step 2:

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 3:

In goes the salt.

Step 4:

In a mixer, mix butter and sugar until combined.

Step 5:

Add the eggs and mix those in.

Step 6:

Then slowly add the flour mixture.

Step 7:

The dough will be really crumbly and dry-looking.

Step 8:

Grate the orange and add the zest to the mix.

Step 9:

Add the orange juice.

Step 10:

By hand, mix in the cranberries and walnuts. Don't do it in the mixer because it will break the cranberries. We want them to stay whole.

Step 11:

Pour half of the batter into the floured pan (or, if only making one loaf, pour all of the batter in).

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour at 325 degrees.

Step 12:

After 50 minutes to an hour, test it to see if the bread is done by poking the middle with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. Cool it on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes.

Flip the bread out of the pan (this is why it was floured!) onto the wire rack, right-side-up and let it cool the rest of the way. Sometimes it is good to cut off a slice for yourself to eat immediately, just to check that it turned out well.

Step 13:

Slice up the cranberry walnut bread.