Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

I just stepped into my kitchen, turned on the light and was greeted by a massive amount of dirty dishes… not to mention a random stick of butter I left out this morning.  

I walked across the way to the dining room table to find all of the half addressed holiday cards I have yet to send. 

I shouldn’t even mention the atrocious pile of laundry that I’ve managed to ignore for weeks.  

But all is well.  All is juuuuust fine.  Why?  Because I’ve got my little nativity scene up.  My Christmas lights are twinkling.  I’ve hung silver snowflakes from my windows with scotch tape, and there are cranberry smells coming out of my kitchen.  At this rate, I can ignore the household atrocities well into the new year.  

Tart, fresh cranberries meet honey sweetened cornbread.  Throw in some walnuts, throw in a loaf pan or two… you’ve got one lovely, dense, lightly crunchy quick bread.  Great for breakfast.  Super for gift giving.  Wrap it up.  Freeze it up.  Butter it up.  This  bread is simple and comfortable.  

Thank you Anna for the gorgeous Wisconsin honey!  You’re a dream!

Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

     recipe adapted from Epucurious.com

     makes one large 9×5x3 loaf or two smaller loaves

     Print this Recipe!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour (if you don’t have whole wheat flour, just use all-purpose flour)

1 cup medium or fine ground cornmeal (I used white cornmeal)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup honey (or pure maple syrup if you have it on hand)

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (reserving a few whole walnut halves for decorating the top)

1 heaping cup to 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour one 9×5x3-inch loaf pan, or two slightly smaller loaf pans.  I think mine are 8×4x3-inches and I made two smaller loaves.  Set aside the greased and floured loaf pans.  

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  

In a smaller bowl whisk together honey, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract.  

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.  

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.  

Divide batter between two smaller loaf pans or into one large loaf pan.  Spread evenly.  Add the whole walnut halves and place in preheated oven.  For smaller loaves bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes of clean.  For the larger loaf, bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool loaves in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Invert onto a plate or board.  Serve warm with butter or wrap and freeze for future you.