Cranberry-Orange Zucchini Bread

That's it. No special title or anything. The truth is I rarely make quick breads, or dessert breads as they're sometimes called because I get caught up in baking more 'traditional' type breads. And it's really a shame since there are so many wonderful breads to choose from. The other thing, of course, is that these breads, fall somewhere in the middle. They are somehow not quite breads but also not quite cakes. More sugar for one thing. Also, they are usually raised using baking powder and/or baking soda not yeast. That's the case with this one I adapted from a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. Which, if you don't know it, is a great site for lots of great recipes, advice, forums etc. Definitely you should check it out. It also includes a nice feature for resizing recipes and even converting from standard to metric measurements.

So anyway, I had some extra dried fruit that I needed to use up and this recipe fit the bill. I used dried cranberries, and grated in an orange peel along with some whole wheat flour (lately I'm using that a lot!) and voila. It was gobbled up quickly and I had to promise to bake it again! I guess that says it all.

Here's What You'll Need:

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Canola oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract
2/3 cup sour cream
finely grated zest of 1 orange, about 1 tablespoon
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Here's What You'll Need to Do:
Heat oven to 325°. Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3-inch loaf pans.
Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat or whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and orange extract.

Stir in the dry ingredients and th sour cream until well blended. Fold in the orange zest, zucchini, cranberries, and optional chopped nuts. Spoon into the two loaf pans, dividing equally.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center.