“The Indians and English use them much, boyling them with Sugar for Sauce to eat with their Meat, and it is a delicious sauce.” ~John Josselyn 1663
Blood Orange Glazed Cranberry Nut Bread
Cranberries are grown in boggy areas, and they were first grown in Massachusetts about 1815. They are a major crop in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries with Massachusetts the second largest producer.
Cranberries are harvested during the months of September to November. They can be frozen for up to nine months, and they can be used in recipes without thawing.
Due to the availability of fresh cranberries, the fall is when we see a lot of cranberry recipes. One of my favorites is cranberry bread. I particularly like to make this bread at Christmas because of the beautiful red color.
My favorite recipe for Cranberry Nut Bread comes from Cook’s Illustrated. This bread is moist and not overly sweet so that the tartness of the berries shines through.
The only change that I made to the recipe was to pour a glaze over the top of the loaf.
I made a Blood Orange Glaze which accents the orange juice that is in the recipe.
Blood Orange Glaze:
- 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
- Juice of a blood orange.
In a small bowl whisk together the two ingredients. Adjust the consistency of the glaze (it should be pourable) by adding or subtracting the amount of juice used.
Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread and garnish with fresh cranberries and whole pecans.
