Apricot Orange Cranberry Breads
Ingredients :
3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stk unsalted butter softened (1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
1 tbl plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 lrg eggs
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 cup cranberries picked over and chopped
Method :
* Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar and beat in the zest and the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the orange juice and the milk and beat the mixture until it is combined well (it will appear curdled). Add the flour mixture and beat the batter until it is just combined. Stir in the apricots, the walnuts, and the cranberries, divide the batter among 5 buttered and floured loaf pans, each 5 3/4 by 3 1/4 by 2 inches, and bake the breads in the middle of a preheated 350F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove the breads from the pans and let them cool, right sides up,
* on a rack. The breads keep, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, chilled for 1 week or frozen for 1 month.
* Makes 5 small loaves.