My wife Cheryl came home from work the other day, walked into our house and said: “It smells like Thanksgiving in here.” I agreed and we both knew why.
I was baking Elisabeth’s cranberry bread, something we traditionally make at this time of year, when those ruby-red berries are in season.
As it bakes, the incredible aroma it exudes and thoughts of soon enjoying a slice make us thankful our culinary colleague and late friend Elisabeth Lawrence shared her recipe for it 24 years ago.
Making it also reminds us of the fun times we had with Elisabeth, and I swear that I can hear her infectious laugh and see her bright smile when we do. It also reminds us of the sweet story about where she obtained the recipe for this cranberry bread and how it came our way.
Elisabeth and my wife once worked together at a food shop in Victoria called Cheryl’s Gourmet Pantry, owned by Cheryl Schultz. In the lead-up to Thanksgiving at that shop, Elisabeth would bake that cranberry bread, which features the tartness of cranberries, sweetness of golden raisins, zestiness of orange and richness of butter and eggs.
With those ingredients, you can understand how you end up with a divine loaf that stays moist for days, but never lasts that long, because it’s always quickly gobbled up.
My wife wanted to make that loaf at home for Thanksgiving, and Elisabeth happily shared the recipe. When she did, it was a photocopy of a sheet of foolscap that a child had printed with a drawing of pumpkins and a turkey at the top. That recipe was called Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread and below that was a message that said: “Ask mother to help.”
That message was there because the recipe was one that Elisabeth’s children had brought home from elementary school with their Thanksgiving arts-and-crafts projects. Kids could help make this loaf, but an adult would definitely need to assist with some preparations, such as chopping the cranberries.
It’s not an overly complex recipe: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Cut in butter, and then mix eggs, orange zest and juice. You then mix in chopped cranberries and golden raisins, and it’s ready for the pan.
Because the batter is dense, though, you do have to make sure it’s cooked through in the middle before removing it from the oven, and in the recipe I provide a couple of ways to test for that. I’ve also adjusted the method from the original recipe slightly. For example, I took out the part about sifting the flour, because the bags of flour sold today are pre-sifted.
We loved that Elisabeth shared this recipe with us and though our dear friend was gone too soon, we are thankful for the wonderful memories evoked every time we make it.
If you, too, have a treasured recipe story like this and would like to share it, please email me at [email protected].
Elisabeth’s Cranberry Bread
The cranberries required for this recipe can be coarsely chopped with a sharp knife on a large cutting board, or pulsed in a food processor in batches. You want visible pieces of cranberry in the bread, so don’t cut them too small. This recipe freezes well. If desired, double it and freeze one loaf for another time.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 70 to 80 minutes
Makes: one large loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp grated orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
Preheat the oven to 350 F (use regular heat, not convection). Grease a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan with vegetable-oil spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg, orange zest and orange juice all at once; stir just until the mixture is evenly moist. Fold in the cranberries and raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until the loaf springs back when gently touched in the very centre and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool the loaf in the pan for five minutes. Now remove the loaf and cool on a baking rack.
Option 1: If you choose, you can make this entirely with cranberries by replacing the golden raisins with another 1 1/2 cups of them.
Option 2: The batter for this bread can also be used to make tasty muffins. To do so, coat a 12-cup, non-stick muffin pan with vegetable-oil spray. Spoon the batter into the pan, evenly filling each cup. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a muffin in the middle of the pan springs back when gently touched in the centre. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Now carefully remove muffins from pan and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
