Orange Cranberry Bread

You'll have to bear with me because I'm on a little bit of a cranberry kick lately.  I'll try not to post too many recipes with cranberries though!☺

One of my favorite combinations is cranberry and orange, and so this bread fits the bill whenever I am craving cranberry anything.  As with all breads that I make, I tend to divide the batter out into mini loaf tins and freeze one or two of them.  This time of year it is especially important for me to stock up a little on the mini breads in the freezer because hunting season will start soon, and the mini breads are an easy snack for the boys to take with them.

I'm eating a piece of this bread right now and it's making me think of Christmas.  Uh-oh.....I feel a stress headache coming on!  OK, don't think about Christmas - just think about cranberries and how delicious this bread will taste with a little butter slathered on a big thick slice.  

Orange Cranberry Bread

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup cranberries, whole or chopped in half
1/2 cup walnut, chopped
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp butter, melted
Zest of one orange, grated
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
Sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325, and spray your loaf pan (or pans) with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside.  In smaller bowl add the melted butter, hot water, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, egg and whisk together to combine.  Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Fold in the cranberries and walnuts, then pour batter into loaf pan (or divide evenly into mini loaf pans).  Sprinkle the top with a little sugar, then place pan in oven - for one regular loaf pan, bake for about an hour and if using the mini loaf pans, bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Make one regular size loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.