Bandon Boatworks Cranberry Bread

Did you know that Oregon is one of the premier Cranberry growing spots in the USA?  Well, you know it if you have ever traveled through the Oregon Coast.  The Cranberry bogs are located just outside of Bandon, Oregon and unfortunately, many have now sold out to the corporate giants, but there are still a few, small bogs around where you can buy your Cranberries fresh!  Each fall, there is a wonderful Cranberry Festival and if you've never been to this part of the Oregon Coast, you've missed out on some of the most beautiful scenic coastlines in the world.

A great seafood restaurant called The Bandon Boatworks is credited for this incredible, delicious bread.  When you walk in, there is a large platter of slices and guests are encouraged to nibble on one as you wait for your table.  It is, the best cranberry bread I've ever had, but they would never give out their recipe!

Loaded with fresh cranberries and infused with a hint of orange
zest - this recipe makes 3 BIG loaves and screams "Christmas!"

How did I get this one you ask?  Well... that's a bit of a story.  My husband and I were traveling through Kerrville, Texas and had dinner at a local restaurant.  The waitress asked us where we were from and we said we had just moved from Oregon.  She then said she was from Bandon, OR of all places - a gorgeous fishing village on the coast, best known for its seafood, a wonderful dairy and cranberry bogs. 

The conversation fell on the most obvious - the cranberry bread at the Bandon Boatworks and she told me her sister-in-law was a cook there and had the recipe for the bread.  She offered to mail it to me and about a month later, it arrived!  I have coveted this ever since. 

The moral of the story?  It truly IS a small world!  Here's the original recipe!  Perfect for the holidays or any time of year!)  Thank you Laurie, from the Cowboy Steakhouse in Kerrville Texas for sharing this authentic Oregon recipe!

Makes 3 standard sized loaves.  The cranberries MUST remain frozen and they are added into the batter in increments.  Frozen cranberries will not sink to the bottom of baking, so if your berries become defrosted in the process, refreeze them until the very last minute.

Ingredients:
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 TBS baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 sticks of cold butter, cut into pieces
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups Orange juice
3 1/2 cups frozen, chopped fresh cranberries (buy bags on sale during the holidays and freeze them!)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
Zest from 1 large orange or two medium ones.

Topping:  A few TBS of Orange juice and some course sugar for sprinkling after baking

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 farenheit.  Grease and flour 3 standard sized bread pans or 5 small bread pans.

Rough chop the cranberries with a knife and return the berries to the freezer as you assemble the bread.  Do NOT use a food processor.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large, wide mixing bowl.  Cut in the butter using your finger tips until butter bits are the size of small peas. 

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, juice, vanilla and orange peel.  Add to the flour mixture slowly.  Use a spatula to blend, but do not over mix!  The batter will be stiff.  If you like nuts, mix them in at this time.

Mix 2 cups of the frozen cranberries into the batter and fill tins to about 2/3 full.  Sprinkle the remaining frozen cranberries on the tops of the loaves and push them slightly into the batter.  Bake loaves immediately.  Cranberries will sink a bit through the baking process.  Cranberries MUST stay frozen, so work quickly. 

Bake all three pans for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (if using small pans, begin checking for doneness after 45 minutes or so).  Check for doneness using a toothpick.  Once loaves have been removed from the oven, let them rest in the pans for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool. 

Top each loaf with orange juice lightly brushed on.  Then sprinkle the course sugar over the top evenly.  I like to use a decorative crystal sugar at Christmas.  It adds a nice sparkle to the tops of the loaves.  Let fully cool and wrap tightly in saran wrap.  These stay frozen very nicely for a month.