Favorite Holiday Treat to Make

I have been making this cranberry-orange quick bread for years. Literally, I think over 15 years and it is still my favorite recipe. I give it as gifts and always get requests for the recipe. So as I was making it tonight, I thought I would post it here. I am pretty sure it is from an old Betty Crocker cookbook that I got from my mom - but I no longer have the cookbook, just this page. It is super easy to put together and makes a great breakfast.

Cranberry - Orange Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

3/4 cup orange juice

1 egg

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350.

Grease bottom only of loaf pan*.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda; stir in butter until mixture is crumbly.

Stir in orange peel, orange juice, and egg just until moistened; stir in cranberries and nuts.

Spread in pan.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. This will be between 60-75 minutes for a full size loaf pan. Check after 55 to make sure you don't burn it.

Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing.

* About the size of pan. I typically use the small loaf pans and it makes 4 loaves of bread, which are great to give as gifts or freeze for a later time. I cook the small pans for 30 minutes. I also use this recipe to make muffins, and they cook for 20-22 minutes.

Of course, I should have taken a picture of the process to post with the recipe or even a picture of the final product. But I didn't, which is why I don't write a food blog :)