Welcome to our first brunch recipe of 2014! You’re going to love this one. It’s great with a cup of coffee. <— You know, this time last year I was just beginning to realize how awesome coffee is. Oh how far I’ve come in a year. Mmmmm, coffee with cream during my Bible time each morning. How I love it.
This bread is also great with a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate, Warm Vanilla Soother, or a cold glass of milk. Pretty much it’s great with anything you like to drink. It’s also very easy to make, and can be baked ahead of time if you’d like to wake up on Christmas morning to a delicious ready-made breakfast.
Cranberry Almond Bread with Orange Glaze
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (regular whole wheat works okay, but pastry flour is perfection in this!)
¾ cups sucanat
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
3 eggs
1 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Mix flour, sucanat, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, milk, extracts, and oil. Mix well. Fold in cranberries. Pour batter into 2 well-buttered loaf pans (or six small loaf pans). Bake 45-60 minutes at 350°. Makes two loaves.
Orange Glaze
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Heat orange juice and honey in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Pour mixture over loaves of cranberry bread about 3 minutes after they have been removed from the oven, but before removing the loaves from the baking pans.
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I love cranberry and orange together, can’t wait to try this bread
This looks easy and delicious. I’d have to leave out the almond everything though because my son is allergic. Should I just double the amount of vanilla extract? thx
You can if you want, or you can just leave out the almond extract and follow the recipe as is otherwise. :)
This sounds delicious!
My family adores cranberry orange muffins. So we will definitely have to try this.
Where do you get the whole wheat pastry flour? And what is the difference between it and regular flour you grind? Thanks.
Pastry flour is ground from SOFT wheat instead of HARD wheat. I almost always use hard white wheat as it works in most recipes and must be used in yeast recipes. But soft white wheat makes a lovely pastry flour that makes quick breads and muffins really nice. In this recipe, I found that using regular wheat flour from hard wheat made this bread too dense. :)
Bob’s Red Mill has whole wheat pastry flour. You might be able to find it at a local store.
Sounds like a great recipe!
Sounds yummy. Can’t wait to try it!!
Good questions above. I was wondering about the difference with pastry flour too.
Pastry flour is ground from SOFT wheat instead of HARD wheat. I almost always use hard white wheat as it works in most recipes and must be used in yeast recipes. But soft white wheat makes a lovely pastry flour that makes quick breads and muffins really nice. :)
Looks yummy! I will add orange juice to the grocery list so we can make it.
Mmm! Now I know how to use I up my frozen cranberries.
We are enjoying cranberry everything right now so we’ll have to add this to the list!
I had just settled that I would make cranberry muffins for Christmas morning. These will be perfect! Thank you!
Yumm! Can’t wait to try this one!
Yum! Looks delicious!
This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I was going to make cinnamon rolls Christmas morning but I may change my mind, this looks delicious.
This sounds so delicious. I think I will make it and bring it to the in-laws. Great idea. Thanks for the recipe.
My 15 yr. old son just walked by as I was looking at this post and GASPED! “What is THAT!”, he said. “It looks GREAT!” Guess I better get some some cranberries next time I’m in town. :-))
Natalie’s Juice, fresh from Florida, will be perfect in this yummy recipe!
Yum that sounds so good!!
That looks so good! I think my family would love it!
Mmmm…I love cranberry and orange together. I will have to try this soon!
Almond is not a favorite extract, but I always blend up a whole orange and add it to my cranberry bread. It’s awesome!
Incredible recipe. I need to buy cranberries just to make this!
Looks delicious!
Looks wonderful and festive!!
Sounds good. Thanks.
Sounds delicious!
If I try making this as muffins, how long would you suggest for cook time?
I am going to make this for breakfast Sunday before church. Yum! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This sounds great! I only have hard white wheat berries, so am going to have to get some soft to see the difference. We love cranberry orange things and I have about 12 bags of cranberries in my freezer!
Looks perty yummy!
I would love to try this one! I need to make copies of your brunch recipes for my Christmas notebook!
Sounds delicious!
Wow, that looks really good! Thanks for the recipe.
Orange glaze… Mmmm
Looks delicious and something I’ll be trying soon! i have cranberries to use up!
I’ve never been sure about cranberries. I might have to give them a try in this. :)
Sounds yummy — but I’m allergic to oranges. Thanks for sharing.
I’d want to eat only the top half. :)
Cranberry bread is super delicious! Never thought of putting orange glaze on it, usually just put orange peel in it but I will give it a try!
My sweet Husband and son would really like this! :-)
Oh, I bet the house smells so delicious when this is baking. I’m going to have to make some this week
These sound yummy…and sounds very “Christmassy” to me (yeah, I know that’s probably not a real word and spelled wrong…lol)
I love quick breads all year round.
My aunt gave me some cranberries last night and my first thought was this bread! I bought oranges today to make it happen!!
I want to freeze one loaf. Does glazed loaf freeze okay, or should I freeze unglazed?
Yes, a glazed loaf freezes just fine. When it thaws, it is so yummmmmmy!
This sounds wonderful. Don’t have any pastry flour but after your explanations to others, I need to get some and definitely do this. I have everything else!!