Cranberry-Hazelnut Bread

                So even though this year my family was having a small Thanksgiving, I still wanted to bring more than 1 dish. Between my mom and grandmother, the appetizers and main courses were well taken care of. This left me with dessert of course, which was great as I don’t make too many sweets since it’s just me and Hubby usually. The first thing I wanted to make was a Chocolate Hazelnut Banana pie that will be posted ASAP because it was un-be-lie-va-ble! Seriously, it was too good to only have 1 slice. Anyway, the other dessert actually turned out to be a main course addition and next-day breakfast dish! This was the Cranberry-Hazelnut Bread that I came across in Real Simple. I spotted it while perusing the pages the other night and realized I had everything, minus the orange zest, to make it. My original intentions were to bake it and bring it to work or drop it off at my parents to enjoy, but since it was Thanksgiving, I figured why not just bring it then?

                So I made it and boy it made our house smell delicious! Since it was much more on the tart side than sweet, we served it with Thanksgiving dinner right beside the biscuits so that there was a bread option for all to enjoy. It was a hit, especially warm with a smear of butter that melted on top. The next morning, we sliced it up, put some dollops of butter on the slices and broiled it for a morning treat. Again, a hit and again, not many crumbs left! So all in all, I planned on bringing 2 desserts to the festivity but in reality brought 1 dessert, 1 side, 1 breakfast, and many smilesJ Enjoy……

Cranberry-Hazelnut Bread

Serves: 8

Adapted from: Real Simple

OBJ: TCW be able to bake an impromptu bread to bring to her Mom’s Thanksgiving dinner

Ingredients:

1 C hazelnuts, toasted, skins rubbed off, and coarsely chopped

2 TBS unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for oiling the pan

1 ½ C flour

1/3 C sugar

¼ C packed light brown sugar

1 TBS baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ C whole milk

2 large eggs

Zest from ½ a lemon

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ C fresh cranberries

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Butter an 8 ½ -by- 4 ½ inch loaf pan

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt

4. In a small bowl, whisk the butter, milk, eggs, zest, and vanilla. Add this to the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix!)

5. Fold in the hazelnuts and cranberries

6. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes (FYI-mine took 60)

7. Let cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pan and let finish cooling directly on rack

8. Serve warm or room temperatureJ