“Also called ‘Christmas Coffee Cake’, my Mom would make this for Christmas morning. It’s a nice coffee cake to make for somebody at the holidays because it has a very nice presentation.” – Calla Ferre
Dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees) in large bowl. Stir in milk, lemon rind and 1 1/2 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place 45 minutes.
Cream sugar, butter and salt. Add yeast mixture, eggs and remaining 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Turn out dough on lightly floured board. Press into ball. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic adding only enough flour to keep from sticking.
Sprinkle candied citron on dough; knead in. Continue to add and knead in candied orange peel, raisins and almonds. Let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Roll half the dough into oblong, 3/4-inch thick. Brush with melted butter and fold over in pocket book shape and press together. Repeat with other half of dough. Cover with clean towel and let rise 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar
“My choir buddy, Leslie, with whom I have sung for many years in the UC Davis University Chorus, Davis Chorale, and University Covenant Church Choir, brought these to one of the Chorale’s Christmas Concert receptions. She got it off the back of one of her kids’ children’s books. Now, I have a similar Cranberry Fruit-Nut Bread, but these are a little lighter and a little more moist. They are great as finger food when made in extra tiny muffin tins.” – April Ferre
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Combine beaten egg, orange peel, and orange juice; add to flour mixture all at one time. Stir just until mixture is evenly moist; do not over mix. Fold in raisins and cranberries.
Spoon into greased loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
2010 Recipe – Leslie Cooper – From Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
“I scheduled this quick bread on day 2 of my 4 day bake-a-thon in preparation for the 1997 Santa Cruz County Fair Home Arts Competition. I hadn’t even tried it before, but it was an immediate success, wining first prize in its class that year. In 2000, I was a committee member in the Home Arts Department, and assisting the cookie judge during the adjudication process. It was also my first time as an exhibitor in the Senior Home Arts Departments (previously, I was in the Junior divisions). From across the room, the breads and cakes judge asks out loud ‘Doesanybody know who April Ferre is?’ Marie Skov proudly pointed me out. All judging stopped, and the judge called me over. She was probably the most strict and most knowledgeable baked goods judge in the state, and she told me it was the most perfect quick bread she had ever judged, and she had not only given it first place in its class, but Best of Division, and Best of Show (e.g. the best baked goods item in the entire fair that year.) It was perhaps one of my proudest fair moments.” – April Ferre
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and lightly flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
Prepare cranberries, nuts and orange peel. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in shortening. Stir in orange juice, egg and orange peel just to moisten. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan, cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf.
Notes
Dried cranberries may also be used.
1997 Recipe – April Ferre – From the Ocean Spray Cranberry Company
Christmas Day in the Ferre family has a lot of the same appetizers and desserts as Thanksgiving, but dinner is a bit more variable and a little more low key. Most often we have ham.
