There are about 500 things on my to do list right now. I promised my husband that last year would be the last we'd travel for the holidays but being so far from family is hard and somehow I convinced him to do it again this year. For one final time. :) So, to add to the normal list of things-to-do around this time of year, such as bake treats and buy presents and see Christmas lights and so on, we're also searching the house for travel-sized shampoos, dusting off the luggage and making travel bags to help our preschooler and toddler be entertained during the 7 hour flight journey across the country. 

During all this, I'm taking a brief break to post this recipe because I've been wanting to post it for 5 whole years. And for some reason, things always get busy, and I don't post it, and another year goes by with me wishing I had it on here. This is one of my family's favorites that I grew up eating every year and it's really almost sacrilege that it has taken me so long to share it. One, because of it being said classic, and two, because it's the best cranberry bread out there, in my opinion. It's a buttery, rich bread that lets the perfect, bright, sour flavor of the cranberries shine. It's not overly sweet, but there is plenty of sweetness from the bread and the golden raisins to tame the cranberries and just give a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. It is a perfect Christmas time snack, a great bread to give as a gift, or even a wonderful addition to a Christmas brunch. Whatever the reason you find to bake it, make sure that you do. Enjoy, and have a merry Christmas!

Cranberry Fruit Bread

By Heat Oven To 350 Published 12/19/2015

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups golden raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. (Or 3 mini loaf pans). In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using two butter knives or a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in egg, orange zest and orange juice just until mixture is evenly moist. Fold in raisins and cranberries.
2. Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes (large loaf pan; 35-40 minutes for mini loaf pans) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 large loaf (Or 3 small)
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 01 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs. 30 mins.
Recipe Source: Cranberry Thanksgiving (a children's book)