King Arthur Flour Feature and Giveaway, Take Two!

We like to give homemade treats each year and this year, I found the perfect bread recipe over at King Arthur Flour!  Yes, they have tons of tried and true recipes, check them out here!  It sincerely resulted in the most delicious bread we could have hoped for!  This Cranberry-Apricot Quick Bread tasted like something I would find in my favorite local bakery. Rich and buttery, the type of bread that accompanies a cup of tea perfectly and is so delicious that (in my opinion) it screams celebration!  This is the bread we made for our teachers and my hubby's coworkers.  If you are still searching for last minute items to contribute at your holiday parties or to serve on Christmas Day, I would encourage you to consider this - it was that good!

Once again, King Arthur is generously offering up a King Arthur pack for one lucky Barefoot by the Sea reader!  Simply fill out the form below and cross your fingers!  It's our way of saying, Merry Christmas to you!  The giveaway pack includes a coupon for a bag of King Arthur Flour and some bake and give pans!

This quick bread features dried cranberries apricots and nuts, nestled in an orange- and cinnamon-scented batter, and baked to a golden brown. If you're planning on serving a turkey during the holidays, this bread is a great accompaniment.

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange oil* OR 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup dried cranberries*
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced, or dried slivered apricots
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, orange oil or peel, the salt, baking powder and spices until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating until fluffy after each addition. 
Stir in the flour, then add the milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Gently mix in the cranberries, apricots and nuts. 

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.Yield: 1 loaf, about 16 servings.

*I made five mini loaves from this recipe and baked it for about 45 minutes, which was perfect!

Be sure again, to check out King Arthur Flour and their variety of items perfectly suited for your holiday kitchen and well beyond!  It's the ONLY flour I'll use and lucky for us, it's available in supermarkets nationwide.
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Hope you enjoy your weekend my friends and be sure to head back to enter the other King Arthur giveaway on my blog (if you haven't already!)  Merry Christmas to all my friends out there!  I hope you enjoy this wonderful, special time with your families!

See you in 2013!