Cranberry Spice Loaf

December is typically one big sugarfest, with cakes and cookies and candy of all descriptions.

If you have a friend or family member who was born with an undersized sweet tooth, this is the recipe for them. Not quite a cake, but more than a bread, this little round loaf is just enough to satisfy a savory snack-inclined guest while they wait for the holiday dinner bell.

Cranberry Spice Loaf

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar corn syrup

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Grease up a 9-inch round cake pan and set it aside. Fire up your oven to 350 F (as usual). Toss the butter into your stand mixer and whirl it at medium speed until the butter is nice and spreadable. Add the egg and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

Pour in the corn syrup and try not to lick your fingers. Blend for another 30 seconds. Stir the lemon juice into the milk, dump that into the bowl, and blend for yet another 30 seconds.

Combine the flour, spices and baking soda in a small bowl and add it all at once to the mess in the mixer. Can you guess what comes next? Did you say, “Blend for 30 seconds?” Hah! Fooled you; neener, neener! Let it go for a whole 45 seconds.

Throw the cranberries into the bowl and mix on low speed just until everything is combined. Scrape (and I do mean scrape; this stuff is thick) the dough-batter into your prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Stop licking your fingers. Shove the pan in the oven and let it bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer it to a plate for serving.

You can dress this up and really make it your own. Add some chopped pecans, or a capful of rum extract. Bake two and stack them together with some cream cheese frosting. Replace the cranberries with chopped dried apricots. My favorite way so far is served warm with a generous slathering of brown sugar cream cheese, because my sweet tooth is not just outsized, it’s hyperactive. Whatever you decide is bound to be tasty; drop me a line and let me know how it turns out.

Enjoy!

— Have a question or suggestion for Bite Sighs? Email Audrey Lintner at bitesighs@hotmail.com.