Shiner Cheer cranberry bread with maple butter glaze

I love to make bread. Except that I tend to eat it all when it's homemade. So, I end up not making it very often. I mean, I don't need a loaf of bread for dinner, no matter how good it is.

A few months ago I discovered beer bread. It's a basic recipe that essentially customizes itself based on the beer you choose to use. And there are so many beer choices out there! You could go for something sweeter with fruity flavors, or something local, or something seasonal. Turns out, you can add lots of extras, too, like shredded cheese, herbs, or fruit to make it even better.

After buying our first six pack of Shiner Cheer for the season, I decided that it needed to become beer bread. I like Cheer, but it's not my favorite Shiner. However, as a bread... it's amazing! I couldn't believe how well this turned out. In my mind, of course, it was a delicious, sweet bread with hints of the beer. It's a beautiful thing when your dreams come true.

You're going to want to get a few bottles of Cheer to keep on hand for the next month. This is a wonderful bread for sharing. Keep it warm for breakfast or brunch. Slice it into smaller chunks for an appetizer. Or, my personal favorite, make up loaves for friends, family, and teacher gifts. You can't go wrong with warm, fresh bread!

Shiner Cheer cranberry bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour (you can use 3 cups self rising flour and omit the salt and baking powder)
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 4 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 12oz can or bottle of Shiner Cheer beer
• 1 c dried cranberries
• 1/4 c crushed pecans
• 2 T melted butter
• 2 T maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, cranberries, and pecans.
3. Add the beer and stir until combined with wet ingredients.
4. Plop the dough into a lightly greased loaf pan.
5. Bake for 35 minutes.
6. Melt 2 T butter and mix with 2 T maple syrup.
7. Pull the bread out after 40 minutes and carefully poke 4 holes along the top of the bread with a knife.
8. Spoon the butter and syrup mixture over the top of the bread.
9. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until done.
10. Let bread cool for 15-20 minutes before trying to cut it.
11. Best served warm with delicious spiced maple butter.

Spiced maple butter

• 4 T softened butter
• 1-2 T maple syrup
• dash cinnamon

• Mix all ingredients and chill for 15-20 minutes.

I'm going to be making this all month long. It was a hit cut up into small pieces as a Thanksgiving appetizer. It's going to be an extra at my Christmas cookie party. And it's definitely going to make an appearance on Christmas day!

What special seasonal treats do you love to make during the holidays?