Orange Cranberry Walnut Bread

This is one of my favorite Christmas recipes to make as a gift because it doesn't taste like anything else people get at Christmas time.  It's not fudgey, cinnamon-y, gingerbread-y, peppermint-y.  Yet the cranberries still make it seasonal.  And honestly y'all, once you get all the orange zest and cranberries together, the taste ends up something like a high end version of Fruit Loops.  Not even joking.  I love it :)  It's also very easy to freeze so people can store it away while they are up to their ears in goodies, and bring it back out a month or so later to enjoy.  It's a great little bread, versatile enough for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

Orange Cranberry Walnut Bread (this recipe is for a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan, but I've done lots of variations on it too.  In fact, if you use smaller pans you can get two loaves out of this one batch)

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar (I add a little extra, just for fun)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 c melted butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 tsp orange rind zest

1 cup orange juice (use the real stuff, like Simply Orange with lots of pulp)

1 egg

1 1/2 fresh chopped cranberries

1 1/2  golden raisins

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Stir in butter, vanilla, zest, and orange juice.  Add egg, mix until just combined.  Add cranberries, mix gently again.  Add raisins, mix.  Add walnuts, mix.  Lightly grease pan, then coat inside of pan in sugar (it helps keep the bread from sticking and gives a fun little zing of taste).  Pour batter into pan, pop in oven.  Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. 

(You can sub extra cranberries in for raisins)

Chopping cranberries is a PAIN y'all.  I mean it.  Don't try and do it on a cutting board.  You'll wind up with cranberries all over your kitchen, b/c they're rolly little things (I speak from experience).   In fact, I wouldn't advise trying this recipe unless you have either a food processor or one of those Oxo Chopper things.  Thats what I use, and its a lifesaver!