Give us this day our daily (cranberry orange) bread

By From the Heart | Rita Meyer | From the Homefront

Aug 09

I enjoy baking. Besides cookies, breads are probably the thing I bake the most of. Quick breads, especially banana bread, is something I’ve been making since I was a young girl growing up in South Dakota. As a 4-H member, I exhibited many items in our summer “county fair,” called Achievement Days. I recall winning a purple ribbon (the highest you can receive followed by a blue, red or white ribbon) on my loaf of banana bread when I was in third grade.

Baking, competing, learning more about food and nutrition…it all interested me then as it continues to now. This year’s Stearns County Fair was no exception. I entered several baked items and did OK. My banana bread only took second this go around. I think buttermilk is the key to making it especially good. My cranberry orange bread gleaned the top spot. Orange juice and the zest of the orange rind helps give this bread its great orange flavor. These are my recipes. Enjoy!

 

 

CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 bag of whole cranberries (fresh or frozen…you can chop ‘em a bit if you wish)
2/3 cup orange juice
zest from 1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with mixer, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour into 3 large loaf pans that have been sprayed. Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean.

Makes 3 large loaves.

BANANA BREAD

6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ cups buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, sugars, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and oil. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to banana mixture and mix well scraping sides of mixing bowl occasionally. Pour into 3 large loaf pans that have been sprayed. Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean.

Makes 3 large loaves.

Note: Watch for Rita’s award-winning chocolate chip cookie recipe in the Aug. 11 issue of The Visitor.

Rita Meyer is married and the mother of four children age 17 and under. She and her family are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Meire Grove.

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