cranberries all around

If you have ever known anyone from Massachusetts you know where almost all of our cranberries, (in the USA), come from. If you've been Touched you have seen the crimson berries on the surface of flooded bogs, water reflecting flat outrageous cobalt skies in the shiny clear cold air of fall, on a thin harsh winter's cusp, and it's newly naked trees. Men in black rubber outfits from the chest down wading slowly through them and the barely industrialized machines whose whale-like mouths scoop up the water and berries, holding only onto the red treasure.

Who is this creature the cranberry? Zesty! Alive! Sour! Thanksgiving staple, drunk with pectin, comes only once a year by the tons. Add all the sugar and water you want but if you leave it alone it molds to the container and plops! into the dish with a definitive thud. The cranberry is the hard working, working class berry. Who else grows in those cold and eccentric conditions? They build a bog, plant the low lying shrub, flood it in winter, freeze it solid enough for my father and countless other hardy New Englanders to ice skate across its protected home, let spring thaw it out, give the bush a little nudge in fall so that those buoyant cranberry orbs float innocently to the top, bobbing along as if they have all the time in the world. Cranberry harvesting is a stunning agricultural ritual.

Cold though, yes, I wouldn't want to be walking through that water, no way, no how.

If you need to see what it's all about check out Cranberry World, in Plymouth Massachusetts, a place I spent way to many afternoons in while visiting the late Alice Joyce Lydon. Not much to do in Plymouth after you've seen all the pilgrim stuff.

I really love this recipe I am about to impart. It's easy. A one bowl operation. It's a pleasing gift, sells well in a bakery, is yum for breakfast, afternoon tea, or a middle of the night snack. I prefer it toasted with butter, but you do whatever you want with it.

Cranberry, Orange & Walnut Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F, butter baking tin (s) well

all purpose flour   3 cups

sugar     1 cup

baking Powder     3 1/4 teaspoon

kosher salt     1 1/4 teaspoon

orange zest     from 2 oranges

orange juice     1 cup

beaten eggs      4

melted butter     2 1/2 oz.

walnuts, lightly toasted    3/4 cup

cranberries      2 1/2 cups

Sift drys into a bowl, mix with whisk to incorporate

Make well in center

Pour all wets & orange zest into well

Mix from the center out, gently, with a wooden spoon or spatula

RIGHT before mixture looks uniform, dump in nuts and cranberries

Fold in walnuts and cranberries

If you are using more than one tin it's best to weigh them so that the same amount of batter goes into each one. Batter is clumpy, tap a few times on counter so that it settles better. Set your first timer for about 20 minutes, and when it goes off turn them so that they face the other direction (like suntanning.)

I bake mine in 4 little quick-bread pans so that the toasts are cuter. I always bake everything on a 1/2 sheet pan (= cookie sheet) so, 1. it's easier to take them in and out of the oven, 2. things tend to bake more evenly, 3. turning them 1/2 way through the baking time is easier, 4. I'm anal like that.

These babies are done when a skewer or sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. In my very slow oven this took almost an hour, but I kept a very keen eye on them.

If you want something a little sweeter you can increase the sugar, (a 1/4 cup at a time), or make a little glaze for them. But this is more like a bread with a walloping surprise of tart red berries, gorgeous gratuitous meaty walnuts and the soft cheek of an orange whisper to tie it all together.

"A  alligators all around   B bursting balloons   C catching colds   D doing dishes

E entertaining elephants ..."

Alligators All Around, Maurice Sendak

Comments

[Dr. Biggles]

I like how your recipe has the ingredient first and the measurement second. Makes me crazy sometimes when I'm really paying attention to something. Measurements are easy enough, but I want to know WHAT to grab first, not the amount. Which, is, probably, why you did that. Huh?

Biggles

[Lindy]

I love cranberries. A great North American food.

This recipe sounds like it may resemble a wonderful cranberry orange bread that a college housemate of mine sometimes made from a family recipe. It always got scarfed up instantly. I'm definitely trying it this weekend.

I also love cranberry in savory things. A favorite sandwich is roast pork, arugula, and cranberry chutney on a crusty roll. Yum.

[Jeanne]

You know, I'm from Massachusetts, and far be it for me to turn down recognifiton for the home state...but I think that today, Wisconsin (of all places!) has held the #1 production position for the past few years. I also recently pass through Bandon, OR and they grow A LOT of c'berries for Ocean Spray. They were having a cranberry festival, complete with a Queen of the Bogs!

[Kudzu]

Ummmm. Were originally called "bounce berries" in the early settlements but morphed into the modern name from the food enjoyed by cranes. Honest.

This sounds perfect today when it feels almost like February in Marin. Once I test the oven in my new home with the newly-purchased thermometer, I want to try the recipe.

But what will always stick with me as I make it (or remember it) is the image of ice skaters. Whew.

Thanks, Shuna.

[melissa]

it was funny to see this post after i bought a bag of cranberries for no apparent reason this weekend. we went to Stew Leonard's, a strange sort of Ikea-esque wacky supermarket with a man in a cow suit wandering around. it was a good suburban rainy saturday activity with the kids, Elias kept repeating "cow supermarket".....
thanks for giving me something to do with my cranberries. we miss you in nyc.
love, m

[Brett]

Wow, you're blog is looking fancier every day! I love making quick breads. They're so easy and satisfying. This recipe sounds like it will definitely be a keeper, as I'm a big fan of cranberries. Biggles is right, your way of listing the ingredients makes so much more sense than the traditional way.

[devon]

I will have to make this recipe for my Mom at Thanksgiving. She loves cranberries in everyway, bread, juice, jam and even holiday decorations.
I will report back on how she likes it.
Thanks

[Anne]

Okey dokey, Shuna, San Diego's in da house with two (per usual) dopey questions: Is it all right to use my regular loaf pan? And please do tell your preferred walnut-toasting technique. Last time I tried anything with nuts in the oven (oy, that sounds very Catskills), I wound up with a massive rectangle of pecan brittle. Which didn't work on my Rosh Hashanah salads...

Thanks!
Anne

[shuna fish]

Anne,

yes a regular loaf pan is ok, please butter it really well.

I pre-heat my oven to @ 350 and put the nuts on a half sheet pan lined with parchment, all spread out, and set a timer for 6 minutes. they are usually done at about 8 minutes. You don't need to change the color all that much for this recipe although you also may if you like a toastier nut.

Or you can leave them raw, I just like to push out their flavour a little as the other ingredients have a strong personality too.

I just made another batch--this recipe and a half. Little tiny toasts for the eating after every bowl of soup for every guest. yum everywhere.

[Kathleen]

Yes! More cranberries do come from Wisconsin, than anywhere else. Living down south in the ATL, we flip pecans instead of walnuts into the mix for a great
tart/sweet combo. Just my $.02.

[sam]

If i remember correctly, Mama's on Washington Square, SF, does a great Cranberry, Orange & Walnut Bread French Toast available with whipped cream and berries.
it's too long since I've been to the place, which I associate with tourists. But I always liked it. better get queueing...

[shuna fish]

Kathleen, thank you so much for visiting eggbeater and giving us your words! It was over 20 years ago that I visited Cranberry World and it's always good to have the informed update.

Sam, long before I met you I associated you with this place Mama's--- much was said on Chowhound. But you know, I have never seen it or been there! Dottie's True Blue is my place.

[Fatemeh]

YUM! This bread is sooooo good, especially toasted in shuna's kitchen, with a cup of lemon-ginger tea and her company!!

OK, Shuna, you've convinced me. I'm having a go at this on saturday.

[Lindy]

I made this recipe with pecans,rather than walnuts,as I picked them up by mistake, while being distracted and muddleheaded at the market.
It's delicious. I love the tartness of it, the cranberry taste really shines. Food with oranges in always smell lovely cooking, I think. I like it best toasted, with butter. Yum.

[Kristin]

I baked this yesterday, it turned out so goooooood; yummy cranberries! Only 1 technical question (and this happens with pretty much all my quick breads): how come it stands up almost like a perfect little house while in the oven, but then deflates into more of a brick shape out of the oven? Still super-tasty, of course, just looks better while baking. I'm happy to invest in better pans (or baking powder?). Thanks, Shuna! PS Joie likes it too, despite at 1st 2nd-guessing the use of 'real' cranberries. :-)

[shuna fish]

It's so great when I can hear from the peoples making the recipe, thanks everyone!

Kristin, thanks so much for your comment and question.

It does indeed sound like a baking powder problem. Mine rise a lot. Also the sifting is important, try double-sifting your drys next time. The batter should not be sitting around very long--- those pans should be prepped as the oven preheats so that when you're done putting it together it is ready to go!

I like to buy my baking powder at health food stores, and it's a good idea to replace it at least once a year.

Tell me if the problem persists--we can keep brainstorming. Hope to hear from you again, about anything!

[Luisa]

Delicious looking bread. I love cranberries! They're so nice and tart - balance out the sweetness in most sugary baked goods. Thanks for the recipe!

[kristin]

Thanks for the tip about the double-sifting; I will try that next time, as well as picking up the pace a bit. :-)

[dixieday]

If I'm using regular fine-grain sea salt, rather than kosher salt, should I use less? Otherwise recipe sounds great--a lot like my favorite one from the silver palate cookbook. Going to make it today!

[shuna fish]

Ms Dixie Day,

yes you will need to add less sea salt! and how much really just depends on the saltiness of your particular sea salt.

I believe this is where the recipe originarted for me. Thanks for the reminder. The Silver Palate Cookbook was the first I was baking out of in this country.

xo

[kitchenmage]

Shuna, you made my day on two points. First, I knew I'd seen this recipe here and have a bag of cranberries sitting on the counter so I came searching for it. Second, I wrote the latest recipe on my blog with the ingredients first like this and really like it. Maybe you can start a trend towards that style.

[Sanova]

Good Evening,
I am looking for a dried cranberry bread recipe. Might you have one? Thank you, Sanova

[shuna fish lydon]

hello Sanova,

I'm sure you can relace dried cranberries with the raw ones here but I would make one of two changes to deal with the loss of moisture:

1. Either "re-constitute" the dried cranberries in a little warm water before folding them into the batter or
2. Add another 1/4 cup of orange juice to the recipe. Dried fruit tens to suck a lot of the moisture out of the batter to re-constitute itself anyways, thus often making the baked good drier than it would be with raw fruit.

thanks for the inquiry!

[KT]

Hi,

I am thinking of making this bread for a school project and it sounds really yummy. But here is the catch i have to either make it lactose intolerant(so no milk/ diary products) or a gulten free product so i am wondering what i could substitute the butter for in this recipe. Thanks KT

[shuna fish lydon]

hello KT,

thanks for your inquiry.

I think you'd be fine to substitute a vegan NON-GMO, NON TRANS FAT "margarine." There are a number of them out there-- you could look for one at a local health food store, Whole Foods & maybe even Trader Joes... I have had pie crusts made with these sorts of non-dairy butter substitutes and they have been great.

Do stop by and let us know how it came out-- we here at eggbeater always love to know how experiemtns turned out. Remember that every recipe started out as an experiment or a mistake!