Cranberry Orange Bread with Vanilla-Clove Glaze

Y’all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Jeff and I have discovered that pretty much the only way he’ll partake in said meal on weekdays is if I entice him with delicious home-baked goodness of some sort.

WELL TWIST MY ARM WHYDONTCHA.

My usual repertoire of cinnamon rolls and bran muffins was getting a bit stale (hurr hurr), and whole cranberries were on sale at the grocery store, so I started piddlefarting around a couple weeks ago and came up with this.  Then I tweaked a few things and made it again, because diligence.  Eet ees mee meedle nam.

Long story short, this thing is delicious.  In fact, I think it may be Jeff’s favorite non-chocolate semi-healthy baked item, which is really sayin’ something.

And now I share it with you, for your weekday (or weekend) breakfast (or snacktime) pleasure (or indifference).

Also, if I were a good and thoughtful person I would’ve taken pretty pictures without the dish drainer in the background.  But I’m not a good and thoughtful person, so there.  The fine folks at Rubbermaid can thank me for the free publicity 😛

Cranberry Orange Bread with Vanilla-Clove Glaze

1c whole wheat flour

1c white flour

2t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

3/4t salt

1T orange zest (if you have it.  No biggie if omitted.)

2c fresh cranberries, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2c walnuts, chopped (if such things appeal to you.)

3T flax meal (because everybody needs more fiber.)

1/4c room-temperature butter

3/4c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1t vanilla

3/4c orange juice

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease a standard-size loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together dry ingredients; stir in orange zest, flax, walnuts and cranberries.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Stir in orange juice.  Stir in flour/cranberry mixture *just* until moistened (batter should be lumpy, like for muffins).  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 45-60 minutes, or until loaf is springy to the touch.  Cool slightly, then turn out on a wire rack.

Vanilla-Clove Glaze

1c powdered sugar

1T vanilla or caviar from 1/2 vanilla bean

1/2t ground clove (nutmeg, or mace, if you’re fancy)

splash of milk or cream to achieve perfect drizzly texture

Combine and wisk together well, adjusting powdered sugar or milk as needed for texture.  Glaze while loaf is still slightly warm.

I love you.

Have a good weekend, guys.