Wild Rice Bread with Whipped Almond Cranberry Butter

I realize this isn't decorating related. But food is just as exciting as decorating, so I suppose it's okay :) To celebrate our first anniversary this summer, my husband and I spend a long weekend at Larsmont Cottages on the North Shore. They've got this fabulous restaurant connected to it called The Ledge Rock Grille- I'd highly recommend it! Anyway, before the meal, our server brought out bread- wild rice bread with lingonberry butter. YUM! I found these two recipes online and tweaked them to my liking. Here they are:

Wild Rice Bread

• 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp warm water
• 2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in water. Add in 1 tbsp sugar and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in molasses, oil, salt, wild rice, and remaining sugar. Mix well and add in flour. Kneed for one minute. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise again for another hour. Shape into a large ball and bake on parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Whipped Almond Cranberry Butter

• 1 stick butter, ( at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup canned cranberries
• dash almond extract

Place ingredients in medium sized bowl and beat together until well mixed and fluffy, 1 - 2 minutes.

                                                     Hah, looks a bit like raw ground beef- I promise you it's not.

I'm not a big "butter on bread" type of girl, but I must admit I've been slathering my wild rice bread with this butter concoction. Since it's mixed with fruit, it must not be THAT bad for me... right? :)

Recipe credits: wild rice bread, cranberry butter