Cranberry nut orange bread
Whoever thought up the combination of cranberry and orange is a genius, right? This bread is super easy to make, and is perfect as a last-minute Christmas Day breakfast, snack, or dessert!
INGREDIENTS
– 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
– 1 cup white granulated sugar
– 1 large egg
– 3/4 cup orange juice
– 1 tbsp orange zest
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 1 1/2 cups cranberries, chopped
– 3/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
For the crisp topping:
– 1/4 cup sanding sugar
– 1 tbsp orange zest
INSTRUCTIONS
– Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line it with a piece of parchment to create a sling. Grease the parchment in the pan and set it aside.
– In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat for 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix to combine evenly, about 1-2 minutes.
– Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
– Chop the cranberries by hand or add them to a food processor and pulse until they are evenly chopped. Add the chopped cranberries and chopped walnuts to the batter and fold to incorporate them. Do not overmix, or the cranberries will release their juices and color into the batter.
– Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a knife or spatula down the center of the batter, touching the bottom of the pan to encourage a split when baking.
– In a small bowl, combine the sanding sugar and the orange zest. Rub the mixture between fingers to create a wet sand-like mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the batter and bake until the bread is domed and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, 30-40 minutes. Note: If using one large pan, bake for 45-55 minutes.
– Once baked, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, use the parchment sling to remove the bread and cool to serve.
