Ingredients
Cooking spray1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour1½ teaspoons baking powder¼ teaspoon salt¾ cup pecan halves, shells removed3 strips orange zest, bitter white pith removed⅔ cup sugar1 small apple (about 5 ounces total), peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces1 large egg½ teaspoon vanilla extract¼ cup unsalted butter, melted3 tablespoons buttermilk⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve. Insert metal blade and pulse to coarsely chop pecans, about 6 times. Remove and reserve.Process orange zest and sugar until zest is finely chopped, about 45 seconds. Add apple, egg and vanilla; process until combined, about 15 to 20 seconds. With machine running, add butter and buttermilk through the small feed tube. Process until combined, about 10 to 15 seconds. Scrape the work bowl. Add cranberries, pecans and dry ingredients. Pulse until flour is just mixed in, about 5 to 6 times. Do not overprocess.Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely. For best results, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 24 hours before slicing.
