1 tsp butter, softened, plus 6 T ½ c walnuts
unsalted butter, softened and 1 c sugar
cut into ½-inch bits 1½ tsp double-acting baking
1 tsp plus 2 c all-purpose flour powder
2 c (½ pound) firm fresh ½ tsp baking soda
unblemished cranberries ½ tsp salt
1 medium-sized tart cooking apple, 1 egg, lightly beaten
peeled, cored and cut into small 1 T finely grated fresh orange peel
chunks ½ c strained fresh orange juice
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Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, spread the teaspoon of
softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour into the tin, tipping it to coat the bottom
and sides evenly. Then invert the tin and rap it sharply on the table to
remove any excess flour.Wash the cranberries under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Put the cranberries, apple and walnuts through the coarsest blade of a food grinder into a glass or ceramic bowl. Set aside.
Combine the 2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and sift into a deep bowl. Add the 6 tablespoons of butter bits and, with your fingertips, rub the fat and dry ingredients together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Stir in the egg, orange peel and orange juice, then add the cranberry-apple-walnut mixture and continue to stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Spoon the batter into the buttered pan, spreading it and smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1½ hours, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn the loaf out onto a wire cake rack to cool. Serve cranberry-fruit-nut bread while it is still warm or when it has cooled completely. Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf.
