Berry Bread

I was in a bread bakey kind of mood today, but couldn't find yeast at Pathmark.  I know it's there somewhere, but it was so crowded and crazy I couldn't deal with the search. 

But I did recall that I had wanted to try this recipe from Real Simple and had the ingredients on hand...kind of.  (Another instance of couldn't find something at Pathmark...this time I subbed a frozen berry blend for cranberries.)

It came our pretty well!  Tasty.  Although next time I might use walnuts instead of hazelnuts.  They seemed a little unwieldy and I think walnuts would work a little better.  But give it a shot!  This would make a nice gift loaf for the holidays...or anytime!

Emma's Attempt at Cranberry Hazelnut Bread

From Real Simple

Serves 8
Hands-On Time: 10m
Total Time: 2hr 30m

Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts (again - I might try walnuts next.  Pecans or other nuts would probably work well too)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk (the mixture seemed a little dry - I added a few tablespoons additional milk)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (I used frozen berry blend)

Directions

1.Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Rub the warm nuts in a clean dish towel to remove the skins (discard the skins); coarsely chop.  (I let the nuts cool before removing the skins - try it when they are still warm.  It will make life easier.)

2.Butter an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla; add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not over mix). Fold in the hazelnuts and cranberries.

3.Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes (tent with foil if the top browns too quickly). Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.