If you've been wondering what Christmas gift to take to your neighbors or co-workers... wonder no more! We've been making this recipe for a couple of years now and have had nothing but rave reviews back from the recipients. It looks so festive with those cranberries and the orange-cranberry combo makes for tangy-sweet goodness!

Usually we make four loaves at a time (that's the max capacity for our mixer) so you'd just adjust the measurements accordingly. I've been wanting to go out and buy some mini-loaf pans though -- they'd make just as thoughtful a gift and you could crank out more than three at a time (you always have to keep the fourth one for yourself).

Cranberry Orange Bread

(recipe adapted from a post on about.com by Diana Rattray and picture taken from bakingbites.com/2005/02/orange-cranberry-bread)

FOR ONE LOAF

Ingredients:

• juice and grated peel of 1 orange (we've used grapefruit in a pinch)
  
• boiling water
• 2 tablespoons butter (cut it up to help it melt)
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (we buy a ton when they're on sale -- they freeze forever)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (haven't ever tried it with the nuts)
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:

Put orange juice in a 1-cup measure. Add enough boiling water to orange juice to make 3/4 cup. Add grated orange peel and butter; stir until butter is melted. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and egg together; add orange mixture and stir until well blended. Add cranberries and nuts. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into egg and orange mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 325° for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.