Ingredients:

•  2 cups GFCF flour
•  1 cup muscovado sugar
•  1 1/2 tsp. GFCF baking powder
•  1/2 tsp. salt
•  1 egg
•  1/2 tsp. baking soda
•  1 tsp. GFCF vanilla extract
•  3/4 cup orange juice
•  2 tsp. orange zest
•  1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
•  2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Chop cranberries with a knife or food processor
• Sift flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a bowl
• Add egg, vanilla and orange juice, stir until mixture is smooth
• Fold in nuts and cranberries
• Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inches) and smooth the top
• Bake for 65 minutes
• You can test if the loaf is ready by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean then the loaf is ready.

Notes:

Cranberries weren’t commonly used in my household growing up and I’d really only encountered the odd fruit being a main ingredient around the holidays. However, once I learned about the immense amount of nutritional benefits that cranberries provide, I opted to find a way to implement them into a recipe. 

Cranberries are considered a superfood because they’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants. There are many health benefits that you can capitalize on by implementing them into your own diet, and this recipe can help get you started. Here are a few of the benefits that this tasteful superfood can provide:

1. Cranberries are rich in many vitamins and minerals including vitamins C, E, and K1, with the most predominant being vitamin C. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant and aids in oxidizing higher levels of body fat, which can help increase weight loss when exercising. 
2. The nutrients that cranberries provide can lead to a lower risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), cardiovascular disease (CVC), and slow tumor progression.
3. Cranberries can also improve immune function and oral health (as they prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth).
4. A common side effect of including cranberries in your diet is decreased blood pressure.
5. Cranberries contain about 3.5mg of manganese, which is an essential mineral for metabolism and growth.

GFCF, DF, SF

Legend:

• GFCF – gluten free casein free
• SF – soy  free
• DF – dairy free
• EF – egg free