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What’s for breakfast?

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I love quick breads. Love them. Most people consider them to be a breakfast item or an afternoon nosh with coffee or tea, but their subtle sweetness to me is perfect any time of day. Citrus is at its peak in the dead of winter (one of a few bright spots in dreary January!), and this is a terrific recipe to make the most of the season’s best oranges. And, paired with some freshly made butter (recipe below), this not only makes for a tasty treat, but it also creates an opportunity to get your kiddos involved in the kitchen. Enjoy!

Orange-Cranberry Bread with Homemade Orange-Honey Butter
(I can’t recall exactly where I found this bread recipe, but I believe it was from the food section of our local paper.)

For the bread:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
Zest of 1 small lemon
Zest of 1 orange
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk, orange juice and lemon and orange zests.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light in color and texture, 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with milk mixture, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Fold in pecans and cranberries.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Unmold and cool completely.

For the butter:
1 cup cold heavy cream (don’t skimp here…anything short of heavy cream won’t cut it here!)
2 tablespoons honey
1 orange, zested

1/4 tsp. salt

I highly recommend chilling the stainless bowl of your heavy duty stand mixer in the freezer for a half hour before beginning.
Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In your chilled bowl, combine the heavy cream and next three ingredients. Beat on high speed until cream starts to clump and turn light yellow. Continue beating on high speed until butter forms and buttermilk begins to pool in the mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of the bowl. Beat further until a single ball of butter is formed. Remove butter to a serving dish and chill until ready to serve.
(Can you see those adorable little fingers in the photos above hanging on to the side of the counter as they eagerly watch the butter being made?)

Have a delicious day!

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Comments

  1. Stacy says

    This looks delicious, the bread and the homemade butter. I am going to have to make some of that butter with the boys. I know they will love it!

    Thank you for the supportive post! I greatly appreciate it!

  2. Robbins' Nest says

    Amy, you have to slow down! I want to try all these recipes because they look so yummy, but you are posting them too fast! I just barely got the red NM chilies the other day and hope to make the previous mexican dish, and now I really want to make this bread too! yummy!

  3. Robbins' Nest says

    Amy, you have to slow down! I want to try all these recipes because they look so yummy, but you are posting them too fast! I just barely got the red NM chilies the other day and hope to make the previous mexican dish, and now I really want to make this bread too! yummy!