CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN DAY 5

 A CHRISTMAS WISH

What is Christmas without goodies? Find a recipe and make it your specialty

I don't think I have ever had a baking specialty.  No one ever begs me to bring my wonderful whatever to gatherings. I have to admit I look for the easiest and quickest recipes. My motto is "If it takes longer to make it than to eat it, then I probably won't make it."

But there is something about this time of year that makes most of us want to stir up a little something in our Christmas kitchens. Or at least to put on a cute and festive apron. This year we almost had a mother and daughters baking day, but it had to be cancelled at the last minute. Maybe we can still make it happen later. I do like Christmas goodies. Especially if I have helpers.

When my oldest son was in kindergarten, he brought home a recipe from the teacher for cranberry orange bread. This was fifty (!) years ago and I had only heard of pumpkin and banana breads, so I thought it was very exotic. It did become a favorite.

CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD

• 2 cups flour
• ▢1/2 cup sugar
• ▢1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢grated zest of 1 large orange
• ▢2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• ▢2 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ▢1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries
• ▢1/2 cup chopped pecans are optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Stir in the orange zest.  Make a well in the center and add the orange juice, eggs and vegetable oil.  Stir gently, just until almost combined.  Fold in the cranberries and nuts, making sure you don’t over mix the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. 
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Please note this is made with fresh or frozen cranberries and fresh orange juice. That is the secret.

I have also made cranberry orange cookies especially when I need to take something to a cookie exchange. These are made with dried cranberries .

Cranberry Orange Cookies

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 T orange zest

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add egg. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients  and mix lightly. Fold in berries and orange zest. Shape in one inch balls and roll in orange sugar (1/2 cup sugar and 1T. orange zest.) Place on baking sheet and flatten. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes.

That's it for today's baking lesson. Like I said, I never claim to be an expert cook.  That's really quite ironic since I have spent most of my life married to restaurant owners. Twice. But that's a story for another day.