I've been obsessed with dried cranberries lately...a bowl of them mixed with almonds is a perfect snack. And actually good for you! I try to tell myself that healthy snacks like that totally cancel out the rest of my normal diet of french fries, peanut butter cookies, and butter-laden treats like this Cranberry-Orange Bread. With boozy glaze.
This is more of a pound cake than a bread. Moist, dense and rich. The tart cranberries perfectly offset the sweet orange and Grand Marnier glaze.
Cranberry Orange Bread with Grand Marnier Glaze
adapted from MyRecipes.com
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups powdered sugar
7-8 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Preheat oven to 330 degrees. (I know, weird, right? I don't think I've ever set an oven to that temperature before. Whatever, it worked.) Grease 2 loaf pans.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add orange juice, sour cream, orange zest and vanilla and mix well.
Add flour, baking powder, salt and dried cranberries. Stir until combined; don't overmix.
Divide batter evenly into the greased loaf pans. Bake 65-75 minutes, or until skewer inserted into loaves comes out clean.
While loaves are baking, whisk together powdered sugar and Grand Marnier until smooth and pourable. If too thick, add more Grand Marnier or orange juice. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. Set aside.
Let loaves cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack placed over a baking sheet. Poke holes all over top surface of loaves with a long skewer. Pour glaze over loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.
