Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Bread Recipe by Georgina Hayden

While I love a Christmas dessert as much as the next sugar addict, after a while I just want a slice of something simple and a cup of tea. This buttermilk bread is all you need on the days in between - when you're feeling festive but not quite ready to commit to a pot of brandy butter.

It comes together in no time, the buttermilk giving it a gorgeous velvety texture, topped off with plump cranberries and – best of all – the crunchier, more indulgent sugar crust.

Served 8-10 dried cranberries 125g orange juice and finely grated zest of 2 unsalted butter 100g, melted caster sugar 235g 1 large buttermilk 175ml self-rising flour 250g baking powder 1tsp sea salt fine ¾ cc

Preheat your oven to 170°C fan/thermostat 5. Place the cranberries and 125ml orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to boiling. Boil for 4 minutes, until almost all the juice is absorbed. Leave besides. Brush the entire inside of a 1 kg cake tin with a little melted butter, then pour in 25 g of caster sugar. Tilt the mold so that the sugar lines the inside.

In a large bowl, cream the remaining butter and 200 g of caster sugar. Beat the egg, then stir in the buttermilk and orange zest. Sift and stir in the self-rising flour, baking powder and fine sea salt. Finish by mixing in the plump cranberries and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the last 10g of powdered sugar evenly and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Georgina Hayden is a cook and author of Nistisima (Bloomsbury, £26)< / em>