Moist Cranberry Orange Bread

This is the perfect quick bread for the holiday season to wake up to, have with a sip of afternoon tea or a midnight snack with a glass of frosty milk!  I've been wanting to make fresh cranberry-orange bread for a few years, and I've finally done it.  Gosh, have I been missing out!  This is unbelievably moist and the flavor is wonderful!!

You would think that fresh cranberries would make this bread too tart, but it's not like that at all.  The sugar added and orange zest and juice all balance this bread making it an aromatic and delicious holiday treat!  The cinnamon struesel on top is amazing, but you can also add a quick glaze to give this already scrumptious loaf even more richness.  This time I couldn't wait to let it cool for add the glaze before I had to have a slice. :D 

Consider using fresh cranberries for more than just your Christmas cranberry sauce, and please give this yummy quick bread a try.  This beautiful bread will be a new favorite!

Cranberry Orange Bread

Sally's Baking Addiction

Streusel:

1/4 c. All purpose flour

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

3 Tbsp. Butter, cold

Bread:

2 c. All purpose flour

1 tsp. Baking  soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 c. Chopped Fresh Cranberries, not frozen

1/2 c. Pecans (toasted tastes best*)

1 large Egg 

1/2 c. Brown sugar

1 c. White sugar

1 c. Buttermilk

1/3 c. Canola oil

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. Orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 9x5 loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans) with non stick spray.

Make the streusel first: toss together flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut the cold butter with 2 forks or a pastry cutter.  Large crumbs are okay.  Set aside in the fridge.

Make the bread: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, salt, cranberries and pecans until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk egg, brown and white sugar and stir together well.  Make sure there are no lumps from the brown sugar.  Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest.  (Here I used half buttermilk and half orange juice from a bottle to make more orange flavored.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently whisk until there are no more lumps.  Try not to overmix in order to keep the bread light.

Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Top with streusel.

Bake the bread, covered loosely with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour.  Mini loaves bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make a glaze, just mix powdered sugar with orange juice and drizzle after they've cooled.  I didn't do that this time, but it's delicious both ways!  Wrap well with plastic wrap or consume the bread goodness at once! :)

* To toast pecans, spread out pecans on an ungreased pan and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes stirring once.