By Alisa Fleming - A perfectly moist loaf for a dessert like treat that everyone can enjoy!

Last week I gave Meraby’s Blueberry Muffin Mix a trial as quick bread, this week it was time to venture outside of my typical flavor zone, and bake up a loaf of Meraby’s Cranberry Orange Muffin Mix.  Barb had already trialed both mixes with her food allergic little ones as muffins, so I thought some quick bread photos would be a nice variation. 

Aside from the difference in flavors, this was a remarkably similar experience to the blueberry muffin mix.  Both produced a sweet, dessert-like loaf of bread with a nice, moist crumb.  Really, something I would liken to a pleasant afternoon coffeecake.  Oh yes, and lest I forget, they both produced a light sugar-crisp crust on top that was simply irresistible!

While I have only had a few cranberry orange inspired baked goods in the past, this was the most flavorful one I have tried to date.  It was a touch less sweet than the blueberry bread, due in part to the mildly tart contrast of the cranberries.  While the dried cranberries baked up with some plumpness, and did have that signature sweet-tart taste, they were surprisingly mild and well suited to most taste-buds, even young ones that might be a bit more sensitive to sharp flavor notes.  I found the orange in this bread to be quite predominant, a pleasant change from muted orange enhanced breads.  Really, each flavor had an equal turn in the spotlight. 

My father stopped by just as the loaf emerged from the oven, so the whole family had an afternoon teatime treat.  I sent my dad home with three more slices, if that is any indication of his opinion!  While I enjoyed my slice, like the blueberry it called out for a pat of Smart Balance spread, and I obliged.  Mmmmm, delicious… and gone!  Really, it was a relatively sweet loaf, a bit too sweet for my breakfasts, but as a teatime dessert, it was a real treat.

 With luck, we will be seeing more flavors from this fledgling allergen-free company.  Barb has requested a Chocolate Chip muffin, while I would love to see an Apple Cinnamon or even a hearty Bran. 

My Extra Notes & Tips:

• Meraby is a food allergy friendly company.  Their mixes are touted as peanut, tree nut, dairy, egg, and soy free.
• Just as with the Blueberry Muffin Mix, the box stated to use an 8 x 4 loaf pan, which seemed like a small one, and certainly not one I had on hand.  I think mine was an 8 x 5”, so the loaf was a little bit squat in size, but it still looked like a nice little loaf, and obviously suffered not a bit in taste.

Where to Purchase: Meraby's is a brand new product, so they are just starting up distribution.  Check the Meraby's website to find out how to get your hands on these mixes!

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