Baking Cranberry-Orange Bread

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It’s been a busy week here!  On Tuesday, our little dachshund Suzy had to have surgery to get a cyst removed from her leg. She’s an older dog, almost 12, so it’s been a tough recovery for her. I’ve been carrying her around and generally trying to keep her happy.

When I haven’t been fussing over an ailing wiener dog, I’ve been writing JOYFUL (out next summer), revising REDEMPTION (an e-book, out at the end of February), and doing a final read-thru for HOPEFUL (releases Feb. 4) Oh, and getting ready for my Christmas book PEACE to be published. (Goes on sale Tuesday, October 22!)

That’s a lot to do, even for someone like me, who likes working on several projects at once!

That’s why yesterday I turned on some music, slipped on an apron, and baked some cranberry orange bread. Soon I was making a mess in the kitchen, the house smelled heavenly, and everything seemed possible…as long as I had a cup of tea and a slice of warm bread to go with it!

If you’re like me and you like to bake, here’s the recipe. It’s a good one, I think.  

ALASKA CRANBERRY-ORANGE BREAD

3/4 c. orange juice

1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used light Helmann’s)

2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 cup sugar

2 t. grated orange zest

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (I chopped them in the food processer)

2 T sugar

1t grated orange zest

1)Combine orange juice, mayonnaise, and eggs in a small bowl; stir well.

2)Combine flour and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add OJ mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just blended. Fold in cranberries.

3)Pour batter into a greased and floured loafpan. Combine 2 T sugar and 1 t. orange rind; sprinkle over batter. Bake @ 350* for 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 min. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan.