The Most Delicious Cranberry Walnut Bread

{This recipe was first published at Ciao under my penname of pyewacket)

Also was published at Yahoo.Voices~12/08/2008)

Cranberry Walnut Bread

Now that the holidays are fast approaching, there is no better time to start thinking about what kind of gift to give loved ones and friends, than by making a very special bread, that is, Cranberry Walnut Bread.

I first came about this recipe more than twenty years ago, and ever since, it has become my holiday tradition to make large batches of this bread and hand out as gifts. In fact, I really started something here, as now, all my friends expect it!

I didn't know what I was in for, when word spread around about how delicious these breads were of mine. At first I had only made a grand total of about nine small loaves of the Cranberry Walnut Bread, but as the word of mouth about how good they were it wasn't unusual for me to be baking up close to sixty, yes sixty of these near Christmas time and giving out as gifts. Yes, it was a LOT of work, but the delight on people's faces as I gave them my bread was all the reward I needed and really put me in the true Christmas spirit of giving from the heart rather than some store bought item.

I usually go about it by buying those very small aluminum baking pans, that come in packages of five. If you find yourself making large batches of this bread, be prepared to spend a small fortune for the ingredients alone. I highly recommend using stainless steel mixing bowls for mixing the ingredients, and if making truly large batches the larger the mixing bowl the better. I happen to have one gigantic mixing bowl for instance that is large enough for enough of the mixed batter to make 5 large or 15 small loaves of this bread. Therefore I usually make batches of the 15 small breads per day.

Also while one CAN make a large loaf, I find it better to make the smaller sized loaves as there is less chance of them burning on the bottom.

Warning: Don't skimp on the ingredients and DO NOT use canned cranberries...the cranberries HAVE to be be whole fresh ones, that one starts seeing in grocery stores before Thanksgiving. Stock up on several bags of the fresh cranberries and freeze them as they freeze well.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

For One Large Loaf or Three Small Loaves

2 cups flour

1 cups sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup baking soda

1 Egg

1 tsbp orange rind

3/4 cups orange juice

1-1/2 cup raisins

1-1/2 cup chopped cranberries

1 cup chopped walnuts

For chopping the cranberries and walnuts, I toss them in separately and chop them in a blender.

Add all dry ingredients together. In the largest mixing bowl..add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda. In another large bowl, add the raisins, chopped walnuts and cranberries and set these two bowls aside.

Add butter or margarine and crumble into the flour/sugar/baking powder, salt/baking soda mixture. Then add the egg, orange rind, orange juice and blend a bit. Then add the raisins, cranberries, and walnuts and mix. Pour batter into greased bread tin(s).

For large loaf bake about 45 minutes in 350-degree oven, or until done For small loaves bake about 30 minutes in 350-degree oven or until done. One can test for doneness by sticking a knife in the center of the bread...if it comes up dry, it's done.

Once they are cooled, and I recommend placing them in the refrigerator for further cooling, one can then wrap them up as gifts. First, by wrapping them up in plastic wrap, then with decorative gift paper.

Bon Appétit!