Hello shoppers! It's countdown time with only four days until Christmas! Homemade breads are a perfect solution, given with the love and warmth from your heart. One all-time versatile bread is Cranberry-Orange Bread with Grand Marnier Glaze.
This easy-to-make bread is a sure crowd-pleaser and can be served anytime of the day from breakfast toast to an after-dinner sweet with coffee or tea. Delicately laced with Grand Marnier, an orange liqueur, the bread is studded with tart dried cranberries and orange zest.
Cranberry-Orange Bread with Grand Marnier Glaze
1 1/2 cups softened butter, plus butter for coating pans 1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs 1 cup orange juice
1 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. freshly grated orange zest
2 tsp. vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 /2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries 2 cups powdered sugar
7 to 8 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
Preheat oven to 330 degrees (put dial between 325 and 350). Butter two 6-cup loaf pans ( or six 2-cup mini-loaf pans). In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together in large bowl until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add orange juice, sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix until blended
In a separate bowl, whisk flour,baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and dried cranberries to wet mixture and mix just until dry ingredients are absorbed. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake until tester or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour, 15 minutes. For mini-loaves, bake for 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl whisk powdered sugar with Grand Marnier. Glaze should have consistency of thick maple syrup or corn syrup. Add another Tbsp, of liqueur if too thick.
Cool bread in pans for ten minutes, then remove and transfer to cooling rack . With a toothpick or tester poke deep holes in tops of loaves. Drizzle Grand Marnier glace so that it coats the tops of the loaves, runs down the sides and seeps into the holes.
Let loaves cool completely, then slice and serve or wrap tightly in plastic wrap, put in zip-lock bags and freeze.
* Recipe is adapted from Sunset Magazine, December 2006.
Other great last minute homemade gift ideas are chocolate truffles or herb-infused oils or vinegars botled in attractive cruets.
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