Cranberry Thanksgiving (with Muffin Recipe)

Several years ago, we came a accross this book at our local thrift-book store, called Cranberry Thanksgiving. As I looked up the link to share it with you today, I find that it is indeed out of print and getting sold at exorbanant prices. The link above lets you browse the book on Amazon. Anyway, I thought if you came accross it in a thrift store (like I did), that you might take notice of it.

It is a cute story about Grandma's Famous Cranberry Bread, hospitality, greed, good character and not judging people by the world's standards. (I don't want to give too much away!) At the end of the book, the secret recipe is revealed, which we just HAD to try...and it is DELICIOUS. It has become a family holiday favorite. I like to make it either in muffins or loaves (4 loave or 48 muffins minumum) for Thanksgiving Day Weekend. They make a wonderfully quick continental breakfast to have on hand for quests with fruit, premade quiche, fruit, coffee, tea and milk. It is always one of those recipes that is "asked for". I have modified it to suite our family. I use Rapedura/Sucanut/Maple Sugar, since those are our preferred sugars to white. I have also reduced the sugar by 25%. I use wheat or spelt flour instead of all purpose in the orginal recipe. I was also just made aware, that I have increased the orange juice from the original recipe. I don't remember how that has come about...but I confirmed my notes and this how we make it. We have modified it enough that we could probably rename it Shalom Farm's Orange Cranberry Bread...so of 'that cookbook' ever happens. That's probably what I'll will do! :-) They freeze well, and are great for "taking" if you are traveling elsewhere for the weekend. So here is the recipes with my modified directions and muffins option as well.

(Shalom Farm's) Orange Cranberry Bread/Muffins :-)
This makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins.

4 wheat flour
1 1/2C sugar of choice
1T baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2c butter, cold
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp orange zest
2 C orange juice
3C golden raisins (not dark raisins)
3C fresh or frozen cranberries

Mix together flour, sugar, b. powder, b. soda and salt

Cut in cold butter, to make a course even crumble. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl mix together, o.j, zest and egg. Add 'wet bowl' to 'dry bowl' and mix until blended evenly.

Fold in raisins.

Butter your loaf pans or muffin tins, or line muffin tins with paper muffin cups.

Evenly distribute your cranberries in the bottom of your pan or cups. Than pour your batter over top. (This works much better than the original instructions of mixing the cranberries in the batter, because it keeps them from floating to the tippy top, where they always burn.)

For loaves - bake @ 350F for 1 hour 10 min or until knife comes out clean.
For muffins - bake @ 325F for 30-33 minutes.
Enjoy!

* A side note - This bread is LOADED with fruit between the cranberries and raisins. It is a wonderful combination of sweet and tart. But the fruit could easily be reduced to suite some preferences. My suggestion, if you do this, is just keep the ratio even between cranberries and raisins. You could reduce it to half and still have a very nice bread. (Something to consider if you need to be cost conscious or have limited supplies!) I have also made this bread with dried cranberries and raisins. It is nice...but not as good. It is much better (in our opinions) with fresh or frozen. Again - don't sub dark raisins for golden because it too, is very different - they don't do this bread justice, we've tried it.