Fresh Cranberry Bread

Nothing like having a fresh loaf of fruit bread for breakfast. You can grab a slice and slather it with butter or cream cheese or toast it and go from there. A cup or hot coffee or tea and you are read to enjoy the morning paper or check on your e-mail. During the holidays in November and December, I always buy and extra bag of fresh cranberries and freeze them for treat like this during the years.

Fresh Cranberry Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup fresh or frozen orange juice
Freshly grated orange or lemon zest
1 large egg
1 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Mix togehter the dry ingredient. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the juice and egg to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine and moisten. Fold in the cranberries and nuts. Bake in prepared pan at 350 degrees for approximately one hour.

Another way to bake it is in muffins tins using either cupcake liners or sufficient vegetable oil spray to insure you get a clean release. Reduce the baking time for the smaller breads.

Feeling really creative? A drizzle of lemon or orange icing over a warm loaf or muffins never hurts!