Cranberry Bread with Orange and Oats

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 medium orange, diced, including rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup quick oatmeal
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• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups dried, sweetened cranberries
• 2 cups hot water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine eggs and brown sugar in food processor and process until smooth. Add oil and diced orange and process until orange is minced. Gradually add orange juice. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Stir in orange mixture until just blended. Let stand 15 minutes. Combine cranberries and hot water and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain well, shaking off excess water. Fold cranberries into batter. Pour into a loaf pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan and remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 16 slices. This would be a good batter to make mini muffins with. Each muffin takes about a heaping Tbsp. of batter. Bake them about 20 minutes.

Source: This recipe was in a newspaper supplement called American Profile. It is easy to make, and with the oats and whole wheat flour is pretty healthy. The next time I make it, I plan to reduce the brown sugar by half and substitute Splenda for the remaining half. Also plan to use 3 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs. This will make it even more healthy. Another option might be to add about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts.

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

Additional note :
Since I submitted this recipe, I have tried the changes that I mentioned, but have decided that the sugar and egg yolks that I wanted to eliminate are important to the recipe. My modified loaf did not cook properly and was mushy in the middle. So guess I will stick with the original which is delicious. I might also add that this bread freezes very well.

Harlean from Arkansas