Holiday baking….best cranberry bread ever!

Yield:1 loaf

Ingredients:

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. 

Sift the flour with the soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, by hand, or in an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until well blended.

Stir in the melted butter and the milk mixed with the rosewater. Stir in the flour until just moistened, and then fold in the cranberries and nuts. Do not overwork the dough.

Spread the dough in the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the bread springs back when touched lightly or a cake tester comes out clean. (The top will often crack, which is typical of soda and baking powder breads.)

Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing from the pan. When thoroughly cooled, wrap in plastic or foil and let sit overnight or at least a day before cutting. Store in the refrigerator.

I make a variation which adds orange to the mix.  Omit the rosewater.  Grate the peel of 1 orange.  Add the juice of the orange to the milk mixture and reduce the milk by the amount of juice produced from the orange.

You can also freeze the loaves.  My family is spread far and wide so when I ship to them, I send it frozen, so when it arrives it is still fresh.  I also always double the recipe, so I will have extra loaves for after the holidays, which I freeze for a special treat in the new year.  Give it a try!