Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

   Quick breads are a great thing this time of year. They are so easy. You dump the ingredients in a bowl, mix and pour into a pan and then let it bake. You're free to do all those other tidbits, while the house warms up and smells wonderful. Fall baking is back.
   Since October is national pumpkin month on the food calendar, a great fall treat is pumpkin cranberry bread. Like banana bread, this has a nice texture, the vitamins are there for you and the cranberry adds a nice flavor. A layer of cream cheese on top is nice, but not even necessary.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
2-1/4 cups flour
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
   In large bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Put eggs in medium bowl and beat lightly. To the eggs, add sugar, oil and pumpkin, mixing well. Pour pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to moisten. Add cranberries and stir to combine. 
   Pour batter into 2 greased and floured (or sprayed) 8x4 inch loaf pans. Bake in 350 oven for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5-10 minutes then remove from pans. Makes 2 loaves.

Note - if you're out of pumpkin pie spice use - 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ginger and 1/8 tsp. cloves (all ground).

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