A Holiday Favorite- Cranberry Nut Bread

Today I am very late in posting...but that is what happens when you are preparing for a holiday! I don't have a quick and easy recipe post for you today, but I do have one of my favorite holiday recipes to share and since it is a holiday week, I thought it was appropriate.

I have to say that I come from a long line of exceptional cooks. There is definitely a legacy of good food in my family. As a little girl we spent a lot of time at my great grandma Sena's house. She would often serve us a feast, and I know she loved having someone to cook for. Great Grandma Sena is my dad's grandmother. I know she passed along a lot of secrets and tips to my Mom, especially as they would bake together during the holidays. My mom, in turn has passed those on to my sisters and I. I love the fact that my Mom was so close to my dad's grandma. I'm grateful for that because it meant we spent a lot of time with her while we were growing up and I cherish the memories we shared. The following recipe was one of her favorites. We have had this Cranberry Nut Bread around the holidays for as long as I can remember. In fact, it was probably served at my very first Christmas, 25 years ago.

Now, cutting all the cranberries in half is a bit of a labor of love, but I love making this every year and enjoy thinking about my great grandma Sena as I chop up those berries.
This bread is delicious while it is still warm out of the oven, but my favorite is to eat it chilled.

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Soda

½ tsp. Salt

1 Cup Sugar

Stir ingredients together and then mix:

1 egg

2 Tbsp. Sugar

½ Cup Water

1/3 Cup Oil

½ Cup Orange Juice

1 Tbsp. Orange Rind

1 Cup Walnuts, chopped

2 Cups fresh cranberries cut in half

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour.

Here is what it looks like in my Bosch, ready to go into the pans. I double the recipe to make 2 loaves.