Cranberry Pecan Loaf
Cranberries, they are a tell tail sign that Christmas is coming and so must the wintery comfort food.
How is it already December?! This is probably the start of most articles and blogs you read but it’s a valid point… how! Have you felt every minute of this year or are you also feeling that the year has ticked bye without realizing and like last year and the year before and the year before that, you only come to it in December when all the Christmas decorations flood the stores.
The other Christmas note to self is the appearance of fresh cranberries, and maybe a lot of cranberry recipes that hover in plain but undetected sight. These rather aerated, soft but buoyant, edible but flavourless berries are a strange one for those not so familiar to them. They seem a bit pointless at first glance, unstructured and purposeless, but boy are they an important part of holiday cooking.
They are, firstly, an important natural food colouring - a vibrant red that we are all so familiar with and automatically link to the red of Christmas time. Natural is everything! So when you’re offered natural on a silver platter, it’s a blessing. Take it and take it in big strides!
They may not be all that flash or delicious to eat raw, they are rather hollow sounding and tasteless, but when cooked this all changes. They have a rather sweet flavour and they also take to any other element(s) they are paired with. Adding nutty, aromatic, woody or earthy spices means the cranberries absorb these and impart a sweeter version with a whole lot of colour.
Now we know Christmas is just around the corner, this loaf is the perfect baking recipe for all the Christmas vibes and holiday joy (it may even become a staple recipe outside Christmas time because it’s that good).
Hope you enjoy this one. It’s inspired by Smitten Kitchen recipe. We added a lovely white chocolate glaze on top which paired perfectly with the cranberries and other fruits, nuts and spices.
Enjoy
xx
Cranberry Pecan Loaf
Ingredients
3/4 cup (85 grams) pecans
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
2 medium oranges
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 to 2/3 cup (120-160 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups (225 grams) fresh cranberries, halved
2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
Pearl sugar to finish or white chocolate glaze
Method
Heat oven to 350°F. If your pecans are untoasted or if they’re labeled toasted but don’t taste very crisp or toasty, toast them now. Place pecans on a small baking sheet in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they smell fragrant. Remove and roughly chop, then set aside.
Coat a loaf pan (8½ by 4½ or 6-cup volume) with butter or nonstick spray. For easier removal, you can line the bottom and two long sides with a sling of parchment paper.
Place sugar in a large bowl, and zest oranges into it. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar, breaking it up a bit and releasing more fragrance.
Cut oranges in half and juice them into a 1-cup measure; I get between 1/3 and 1/2 cup. Spoon in sour cream until the juice reaches the 1-cup line; whisk to combine.
Whisk butter and egg into zest-sugar mixture. Whisk in orange juice-sour cream mixture. Sprinkle surface of batter with salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk thoroughly into the batter. Scrape the bowl down. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Stir in flour until it just disappears.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread smooth. Sprinkle cake with pearl sugar, if using.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, rotating once for even colour, until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out batter-free. Give the cake more time if needed; don’t worry about it getting dark. Cool in pan on a rack until lukewarm, or at room temperature. Serve in slices.
Cake keeps for 5 to 6 days at room temperature. I leave it in the loaf pan, and just cover the cut side with foil. This ensures the sides stay moist the the top stays crisp.
