Cranberry Pecan Loaf

Ashland native Susie Norris—a pastry chef, food writer and educator—shares her expertise in her most recent cookbook, A Baker’s Passport. Based in Los Angeles, Norris draws culinary inspiration from her extensive travels. “I’m a lifelong culinary road-tripper, traveling through the world’s great food towns and traditions to explore what is baking where,” she says. “This book visits beautiful countries with artisan baking traditions. By exploring recipes in their regions, we help keep those traditions alive and relevant.”

Cranberry Pecan Loaf

Yields 1 loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1¾ cups sugar

1 cup whole milk

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup vegetable or canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

1½ cups cranberries, or ¾ cup cut in half

1 cup pecans, chopped

1. Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing a few inches to extend above the pan to use as handles to lift the bread out later. Set the pan aside, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add sugar, milk, orange zest, orange and lemon juices, vanilla and oil, and stir with a whisk. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Fold in the cranberries and pecans using a large spoon or rubber spatula.

3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool before removing from pan.

Find more... A sweet sampling of recipes is featured here, but readers can find more on Norris’ blog, foodmarketgypsy.com, and in A Baker’s Passport, which can be ordered from her blog.

Recipes + photos reprinted with permission from A Baker’s Passport by Susie Norris.