Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread

This bread is so festive!  Cranberries are so bright and pretty to cook with, and I love the tart contrast they provide to the sweetness of the bread.  Our mom used to read us a book called Cranberry Thanksgiving every year around Thanksgiving (and probably much more often than that).  I read it to my little boy this year, and I was thoroughly delighted that he loved Mr Whiskers as much as I did (you’ll have to get this book!) .  Anyway, the grandmother in the book has a wonderful and secret cranberry bread recipe… which of course they disclose at the end of the book.  My mom would always make it for us, and we loved it!  So I thought I would pass along the oh-so-secret recipe so you could enjoy it, too!

Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable recipe here

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups light raisins (I never include these – not a fan of raisins in my bread)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once; stir until mixture is evenly moist.  Fold in raisins and cranberries.  Spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan; cool on wire  rack.