I love citrus. I love how bright and clean it smells, how irresistibly sticky a good piece of acidy sweet fruit can make your fingers. I love orange because somehow it reminds me of wintry holidays and sweltering summers. This is an old recipe belonging to my granny. It resides on one of those threadbare recipe cards, yellowed with fingerprints, crumpled, flattened out again and covered in crusted flour and sugar. I think that means it's good.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
1 tsp soda
4 cups flour
1 - 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated orange rind
Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add orange rind and sift dry ingredients alternately with milk. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake 325 to 350 degrees for one hour.
GLAZE
Prepare glaze and let stand while bread is baking. While hot, glaze with 1 tablespoon orange rind, 1 cup orange juice and 2 cups sugar.
In the summertime, it is nice to add a handful of blueberries or chopped pecans. Try this bread in the colder months with a smidge of dark chocolate pieces or dried cranberries.
by Phyllis Anastasia Gasper
