Cranberry Orange Bread

This recipe was originally for pecan orange bread, but cranberries sounded much better to me, and I totally think it works much better this way.  It was a moist flavorful bread, with a distinctively orange flavor and color with the cranberries adding a definite layer of flavor interest.  Warming the cranberries in the juice imparts some moisture and plumpness to them making the berries a better fit for the bread.

Cranberry Orange Bread               

1 stick of butter softened

¾ cups sugar

2 eggs separated

Grated rind of 1 large orange

1 ½ cup flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

½ cup fresh orange juice

1 cup dried cranberries

2 additional tablespoons of flour           

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Add the orange juice to the dried cranberries and microwave until warm, set aside until cool.  Grease one large or two smaller loaf pans.  Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time then add the orange rind.  Sift flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Drain orange juice from cranberries and add the juice to the batter alternately with the ½ cup orange juice beginning and ending with the flour.   Sift the two tablespoons of flour over the cranberries and gently stir until coated.  Shake off excess flour and add to the batter, mixing in gently.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter.  Pour the batter in the pan or pans and bake 50 to 60 minutes for a large pan and less for the smaller pans.  Meanwhile make glaze.  When bread is done, remove from oven and pans and put on cooling rack.  Spoon hot glaze over bread as soon as it comes out of the pans.

Glaze

¼ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup sugar

Combine juice and sugar in a small pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until light syrup forms.