Cranberry Raisin Bread

Keywords: Quickbread
 
Serve this bread warm topped with Cranberry Butter (below) on
Christmas morning.
 
4 cups flour
1.3/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1.1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1.1/2 cups orange juice
1 Tablespoon finely grated orange peel
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed, stemmed and copped (or frozen
cranberries, thawed and patted dry)
1 cup raisins
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour,
sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With a pastry blender or
fork, cut in butter until the mixture makes coarse crumbs. In another
bowl beat eggs, orange juice, and orange peel until well blended. Stir
in flour mixture. Gently fold in cranberries and raisins. Pour batter
into 2 buttered 9-inch x 5-inch-x 3-inch loaf pans and bake  for 1
hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Cool in pans on rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from
pans.
 
Cranberry Butter:
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and stemmed (or frozen cranberries,
thawed and patted dry)
1.1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
 
In a food processor puree the cranberries with the sugar. Add the
butter and lemon juice, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving
bowl and chill, covered, until firm