Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

If you are lucky enough to be on my Christmas mailing list you have already eaten these delicious little treats, if not maybe next year...





This bread is DELICIOUS and can be made into bread or muffins. I have added cranberries, and walnuts. But, I also think dark chocolate chips and walnuts would also be good. Maybe next time. The best part of this recipe is that it makes at least 2 breads, or 3 dozen muffins. I freeze the muffins and use pack them in lunches and eat for breakfast. They are truely delicious.

Pumpkin Bread

Pre-heat oven at 350

Mix dry ingredients –

3 c. sugar
3 ½ c. flour (I use whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. all spice

Add wet ingredients –

1 – 15 oz. can pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
¾ c. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (it has to be the good stuff - see note below)
¼ c. vegetable oil

Mix WELL

In 2/3 c. water (add 2 tsp. orange extract, if you want it, see note below) stir and add to mixture

1 c. craisins (more or less to preference, I usually use almost a bag)

1 c. chopped walnuts (if you want)

Pour into prepared bread pans, usually makes 2 large loafs or 3 small or use the same recipe for muffins makes ~36

Bake BREAD for about 1 hour, check after 45/50 minutes.

Bake MUFFINS for about 15 minutes. I don't set timers, so just wait until you can smell them and then check them with a toothpick. They are done when the toothpick comes out clean.

*A note on orange extract - it doesn't make the bread orangy, but brings out the citrus notes of the cranberry. If you don't have any orange extract or don't want to add it you don't really have to.

*A note on olive oil. I know it sounds weird and you may think it would change the flavor of the bread, but it doesn't. It makes the bread BETTER! I did this once because it was like 9 p.m. Friday night and I only had about 1/4 c. of vegetable oil, so I just used olive oil and it was really good. I tried the recipe later with all vegetable oil and it wasn't as rich, so now I always use the olive oil. And it does have to be decent olive oil, not the cheap stuff that doesn't even taste like olives, but why would you buy that anyways?

This bread is sooooo good, and actually pretty full of vitamins from the pumpkin, cranberries, walnuts, eggs, whole wheat and olive oil. Maybe a little fatty, but I feel like the vitamins from all of those outweigh the fat.

ENJOY!!