Cranberry Bread

With Christmas approaching ever closer, this is the perfect breakfast or snack bread for the holiday season.  Not only is it made with fresh cranberries, an ingredient that always says holidays to me, but also crystallized ginger and oats for great flavor. It is unlike any other cranberry bread I have had and immediately was a favorite.  Not super sweet, but also not so healthy you feel deprived.  The recipe is from Body and Soul magazine, now known as Whole Living.  I like to lightly toast a slice and if feeling not too terribly healthy or just because, a little spread of butter.  Holiday baking, not only traditional cookies and sweets, but also seasonal ingredients with new flavor combinations. 

Cranberry Bread

adapted from Body and Soul Magazine

Novemeber 2006

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a loaf pan 8 1/2" X 4 1/2" with a butter flour spray.

2.  Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes until lightly golden.  Transfer to a food processor and pulse on off until finely ground.

3.   In a large bowl combine; ground and toasted oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.

4.  In a medium bowl combine;  yogurt, oil, and eggs.  Mix well until smooth. 

5.  Add the yogurt egg mixture to the dry ingredients, mix well.  Then gently fold in cranberries and ginger.

6.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.  If bread starts to brown too quickly place a piece of tented foil over the pan.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Loosen the edges with a knife before removing from pan.