A tradition in my house at Thanksgiving. Mom and I would crack walnuts ourselves for the walnut meats and cut each cranberry into 2 or 3 even slices. Mom would measure them in a glass Skippy peanut butter jar that had measurement markings on the side. Now I buy shelled walnuts (sometimes I even get the chopped walnuts!), but after years of saving time by using the food processer to cut the cranberries, I've gone back to slicing the cranberries by hand. The bread is so much prettier when the cranberries are evenly sliced.
Although making this bread has more steps than most quick breads, it is worth the effort. You might as well double the recipe if you're going to the trouble! (Better yet, make two double batches!) It freezes well so you can bake lots at Thanksgiving and freeze some for Christmas!
INGREDIENTS
2 c flour
½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
½ tsp salt
Orange, juice & rind
2 Tbsp oil
Boiling water
1 egg
¾ c walnuts
1 c cranberries, cut crosswise
TWO DOUBLE BATCHES
8 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp baking powder
4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
4 oranges, juice & rind
½ c oil
Boiling water
4 eggs
3 c walnuts
4 c cranberries, cut crosswise
Preheat oven to 325-350°, and oil 8" x 4" loaf pan.
Chop the walnuts. Put aside.
Cut (don't chop!) the cranberries crosswise into slices. Cut the small ones in half, but slice bigger ones into 3 or even 4 pretty slices. Put aside.
Sift the dry ingredients twice into a mixing bowl. (Or mix well with a whisk.)
Grate the orange rind, then Juice the orange, removing any seeds.
Put the orange juice and rind into a glass measuring cup, then add the oil and enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup (for two double batches, 3 cups).
Add the liquids along with the egg to the dry ingredients, and mix together. Do not overmix.
Fold in the nuts and cranberries.
Pour into the loaf pan.
Bake 1 hour.
Cool on a rack. Wrap when cooled thoroughly. Let stand 24 hours before slicing.
One recipe makes one 8" x 4" loaf or two 5" x 3" loaves. As with many quick breads, your patience will be rewarded - waiting 24 hours makes slicing easier.