We all love quick little recipes for our Thanksgiving Holiday. When it involves beer, our delight is that much greater, particularly when it comes in unexpected recipes. One of the easiest ways to infuse beer into our recipes is by adding it to breads, in place of some of the liquid normally used.

Beer makes breads light and crispy. Some beers display a yeast bed on the bottom of the bottle, and these complement cooking with the added advantage of helping the breads to rise. If you make breads that require yeast, the addition of beer will not be a replacement for the yeast, but will add to the lightness in the finished bread.

Quick breads do not require yeast, and should be served immediately after baking. They can be baked in the oven as the final preparations are being done, and make ideal companions for the dinner table. Quick Breads with cranberries, banana, or nuts echo the flavors in turkey stuffing, while enhancing the flavors in a crisply-browned turkey with savory gravy.

This cranberry bread highlights the orangy flavors of Elysian BiFrost Winter Ale, drenched in flavors of caramel-coated apples and autumn spice. With four locations in Seattle, Washington, Elysian Brewing Company has crafted 350 different beers since opening in 1995.

Beer-Kissed Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups whole-grain flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup cranberry pulp
• ¼ cup cranberry juice
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale
• 1 cup lightly crushed walnuts
• Grated rind of 1 orange

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350⁰.

Lightly grease loaf pan or spray with cooking spray.

Sift 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour with baking soda and salt. Resift with 1-1/2 cups whole-grain flour. Set aside.

Cream shortening. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg. Add cranberry pulp and cranberry juice and blend thoroughly.

Add sifted, dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and Elysian BiFrost Winter Ale. When adding, use swift strokes until just blended. Do not over blend.

Fold in crushed walnuts and grated orange rind.

Place dough in the prepared loaf pan. Bake bread for about 1-1/4 hours, until lightly browned. Let cool in pan. Serve with butter or orange marmalade.

If you have difficulty finding Elysian BiFrost Winter Ale, try substituting with an Ale aged on fruit, Belgian Sour, or German Hefeweizen styles.

Cheers!

Need a loaf pan?
Wilton Recipe Right 2 Piece Long Loaf Pan Set

The easy way to blend dough:
OXO Good Grips Dough Blender with Blades