Bread Machine White Cranberry Cornbread

The scent of blueberry infused cranberries and dough is absolutely intoxicating. Who knew the art of bread making could be this much fun? Okay, maybe using a bread machine is more science than art, but it is still an opportunity to roll up the sleeves and go crazy with the flour.

Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook: All You Need to Cook a Foolproof Dinner was a lucky find at the local library last week (I Heart Libraries!). In this recipe, you can choose to bake yellow cornmeal with blueberries or white cornmeal with cranberries. I choose white with cranberries. Compared to yellow cornbread, white has a very understated flavor. 1 slice=175 calories

Bread Machine White Cranberry Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoons molasses or honey
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/3 cup white cornmeal
• 1 1/2  teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

To make this recipe, you need a bread machine that uses 3 cups flour.

Preparation

1) First, soften the butter in the microwave.

2) Carefully measure all the ingredients, except the cranberries, and mix them in a large bowl. Betty tells me to place them in the bread machine for mixing, but it's more fun to do it myself. If you prefer all work and no play in the kitchen, just add the ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed.

3) After the dough is mixed, place it in the bread machine pan.

4) Select Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color. I use light. Do not use delay cycle. Add cranberries at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. Remove the bread from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Foolproof? Not exactly. Obviously, the cranberries are supposed to be in the bread not on the bread. Somehow I managed to miss the Raisin/Nut cycle. Where are bells and whistles when you need them? No matter, I still had a great time playing in the flour.