RECIPE: Cranberry Orange Macadamia Nut Bread

A Thanksgiving treat!  This bread isn’t too rich, but it celebrates the season with tart cranberries, a sweet citrus flavor of in season oranges, and a rich texture and crunch of macadamia nuts. Slice this moist, luscious bread thickly and eat warm with a cup of coffee in the morning or make tiny sandwiches with a creamy spread of lilikoi butter as an addition to your Thanksgiving feast.

Makes one – 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry roasted macadamia nuts, chopped

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon orange zest (outer skin of orange)

4 tablespoons (1/4 pound) cold butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, well beaten

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place rack in the center of the oven.
2. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg with the orange juice and vanilla extract.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
5. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives – or you can also use your food processor.  The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
6. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
7. Stir in the chopped cranberries and nuts.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
10. Then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.

This bread can be frozen.

This post has been a contribution by Kristin Frost Albrecht on behalf of The Food Basket, Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank.