Cranberry Apple Nut Bread

I love it when I have something to use up and happen upon a very nice recipe! My apple had seen better days and cranberries were safely tucked away in the freezer so this Cranberry Apple Nut Bread was a no-brainer. My only suggestions would be to add a little more sugar and maybe a bit of orange zest. This is a very tasty seasonal treat, don't hesitate to give it a try folks:@)

Tip: I used my NordicWare Santa pan and it has a lot of detail...

I spooned some of the (very thick) batter into the pan trying to fill in the design before stirring the fruit and nuts into the rest of the batter. This ~should~ help the scene bake up nice and crisp. I did drop the pan on the counter a few times to try to pop some of the air bubbles, next time I'm going to run a toothpick through the batter in the Santa, reindeer and snowflakes before filling the rest of the pan.

While the scene may be a little hard to see in the pics, it is very nice in person:@) 

Cranberry Apple Nut (optional) Bread-from Beyond the Chicken Coop
1/4 C (4 Tblsp) butter, melted
3/4 C sugar-I suggest closer to 1 C
2 eggs
1/2 C apple cider or apple juice
2 1/4 C A/P flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 C apple, chopped
1 C cranberries, chopped-I measured 1 C whole berries, then cut them in half
optional nuts, your choice, as many as you'd like-I used a palm full of chopped walnuts
optional-if a little orange zest sounds good to you, well, that would be a beautiful thing too

1. Mix butter, sugar, eggs and apple cider/juice.
2. Add dry ingredients, mix well.
3. Fold in fruit and nuts.
4. Pour into greased (I used a floured baking spray) 9x5-ish loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes, turn out onto rack and cool completely.
7. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired-I desired:@)

Pour a cuppa and have a happy day!