Thursdays Are For Cooking

Again from the 1952-1960 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook comes this holiday treat, although I’ve always thought it was good any time of the year from early Autumn into early Summer.  Frankly, it’s good any time of year, but when my Dad made it, he always started in the early Autumn. Fall Flying Time may not be here yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have the good stuff while it’s still a bit chilly, does it?

Cranberry-Orange Bread

Sift together the following ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose sifted flour

¾ cup of sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Stir into the dry ingredients:

1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Combine the following:

1 beaten egg

¾ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons of salad oil (in 1953, salad oil was Mazola. Olive oil can be substituted here.)

Add the dry ingredients, stirring until the batter is just moistened. (Don’t beat it to death!)

Bake in a greased 9 ½ x 5 x 3 inch pan (a loaf pan) in a moderate oven (350F) for 50 minutes or until done. Test for doneness with a toothpick or a wooden skewer if you have them.

Remove from the pan and cool.

Note:

You can, if you like, serve this still warm (NOT toasted) with a dollop of ice cream included or just some plain old butter.

Since fresh cranberries are best for this, there probably won’t be any available until late in the year, but when you go to chop them, use either a real hand chopper or a hash knife or the food processor, but don’t cut them up too fine. I have not had cranberry orange bread made with frozen cranberries but that’s worth a try. And yes, you are expected to mill your own orange juice from an orange… but if you don’t feel like doing that, just grate an orange with a thick peel, and add some of that “freshly juiced” juice that you get at The Store.

Category: Cooking, Economy