...but be forewarned: the World That Is Commercial Cranberry Growers almost did me in.
Here's how that went down:
Once again, I found myself with a partially-filled bag of frozen cranberries from God Only Knows When and decided to buy a fresh batch to test out this recipe. Note this is August. Note NOBODY (as in: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Harris Teeter, Publix, Ingles, Food Lion) is stocking fresh cranberries yet. It's okay to display Halloween stuff and Thanksgiving displays, but apparently NOT fresh cranberries.
I started searching for frozen cranberries closer to home, deciding another trip to Asheville was reaching the point of stupidity. Finally found some at Ingles and bought two bags for $5 each. I vaguely remember the last bag of fresh cranberries from God Only Knows When costing $0.99.
Let me state for the record that these frozen cranberries were beautiful. They were so big and beautiful, in fact, that I opened the freezer drawer and checked to make sure I hadn't pulled out the bag of frozen bing cherries instead.
I hadn't.
So I made the bread. I baked the bread. Then I had to keep baking the bread because my digital probe never rose above 180 degrees. For a quick bread, you want the internal temperature somewhere between 195 and 205 degrees.
After removing and cooling completely, I cut a slice. There were large wet spots near the cranberries which must have been what my probe was hitting. The entire loaf was riddled with wet spots. Note this did NOT stop me from enjoying the bread. I liked the taste very much, especially the tang when hitting a cranberry.
But it wasn't pretty. And I wanted to donate slices to the library staff.
So I dug out that old bag of frozen cranberries and the new improved frozen cranberries and huh...there was my problem.
The specified baking time (75 minutes) did not allow for the large, denser frozen mass to complete baking down.
Here is a slice from the first loaf...compared to the second version (see adjustments below). Also, it's very square-ish because I used a 9" Pullman pan rather than a 9x5" bread pan. Higher, straighter sides.
Since I loved the taste, I decided to remake the recipe, only this time I used the old cranberries and let them thaw on paper towels before adding. I also added more walnuts because in my opinion, quick breads can never have too many nuts.
I baked it for 92 minutes and it tested fine. It rose higher, with no large damp spots.
The only additional problem I had, which I caused myself, was to sprinkle turbinado sugar on the top. It was delightful, making a crunchy cap on the bread. However, it did NOT want to be sliced cleanly and would crack away from the rest of the loaf. So...good taste, poor execution.
So let this be a warning for your fall recipes: Check the size of those frozen cranberries and if need be, adjust bake time appropriately.
challengedairy.com
Here's how that went down:
Once again, I found myself with a partially-filled bag of frozen cranberries from God Only Knows When and decided to buy a fresh batch to test out this recipe. Note this is August. Note NOBODY (as in: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Harris Teeter, Publix, Ingles, Food Lion) is stocking fresh cranberries yet. It's okay to display Halloween stuff and Thanksgiving displays, but apparently NOT fresh cranberries.
I started searching for frozen cranberries closer to home, deciding another trip to Asheville was reaching the point of stupidity. Finally found some at Ingles and bought two bags for $5 each. I vaguely remember the last bag of fresh cranberries from God Only Knows When costing $0.99.
Let me state for the record that these frozen cranberries were beautiful. They were so big and beautiful, in fact, that I opened the freezer drawer and checked to make sure I hadn't pulled out the bag of frozen bing cherries instead.
I hadn't.
So I made the bread. I baked the bread. Then I had to keep baking the bread because my digital probe never rose above 180 degrees. For a quick bread, you want the internal temperature somewhere between 195 and 205 degrees.
After removing and cooling completely, I cut a slice. There were large wet spots near the cranberries which must have been what my probe was hitting. The entire loaf was riddled with wet spots. Note this did NOT stop me from enjoying the bread. I liked the taste very much, especially the tang when hitting a cranberry.
But it wasn't pretty. And I wanted to donate slices to the library staff.
So I dug out that old bag of frozen cranberries and the new improved frozen cranberries and huh...there was my problem.
The specified baking time (75 minutes) did not allow for the large, denser frozen mass to complete baking down.
Here is a slice from the first loaf...compared to the second version (see adjustments below). Also, it's very square-ish because I used a 9" Pullman pan rather than a 9x5" bread pan. Higher, straighter sides.
Since I loved the taste, I decided to remake the recipe, only this time I used the old cranberries and let them thaw on paper towels before adding. I also added more walnuts because in my opinion, quick breads can never have too many nuts.
I baked it for 92 minutes and it tested fine. It rose higher, with no large damp spots.
The only additional problem I had, which I caused myself, was to sprinkle turbinado sugar on the top. It was delightful, making a crunchy cap on the bread. However, it did NOT want to be sliced cleanly and would crack away from the rest of the loaf. So...good taste, poor execution.
So let this be a warning for your fall recipes: Check the size of those frozen cranberries and if need be, adjust bake time appropriately.
Harvest Bread - Challenge Dairy
If fall had a flavor, this would be it. This fresh homemade bread blends seasonal favorites like pumpkin, cranberries, walnuts, and spices into a moist and delicious treat. Top a warm slice with a pat of butter and savor each bite.
challengedairy.com
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