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My great-grandmother was as famous for her baked goods as she was for her dry Oklahoma wit. Our family’s cookbooks are full of her recipes, but none are quite as beloved as her cranberry bread. It’s been our traditional Christmas breakfast for years. Since we usually have a few extra loaves tucked away in the freezer after the holidays, however, it’s more of a winter treat than a true Christmas delicacy. Tart cranberries, sweet orange, and mellow pecans give this bread a bright but comforting flavor—and you’ll be amazed at how good it smells when it first comes out of the oven!  

Yields: 1 large loaf or 6 mini-loaves // Prep Time: 15 minutes // Cooking Time: 1 hour

Basic Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flour

¼ cup shortening

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

¾ cup orange juice

1 well-beaten egg

1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one standard size loaf pan or six mini-loaf pans.

Combine sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until fine. 

Add orange peel, orange juice, and the beaten egg to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in chopped cranberries and nuts. Pour into the prepared loaf pan(s). If using one standard size loaf pan, bake for one hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If using 6 mini-loaf pans, bake for 30 minutes.

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The featured image is courtesy of Maribeth Barber and used with her kind permission for Cultivating and The Cultivating Project. 

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