The Great Pumpkin (Loaf)

I’ve been feeling a bit like Charlie Brown lately; like I have gone out trick-or-treating and ended up with a bag full of rocks. When life hands you rocks, what do you do?

You make pumpkin cranberry bread!!

This is my FAVORITE bread to make. It is soooooooo good that I could eat a whole loaf all by myself. I would be sick afterward, but it’s worth it. It’s a good thing this recipe makes 2 loaves!

The recipe is from Libby’s and you can see the original here.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 ounces) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice or water
1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe makes two loaves.

OR, you can do what I did and make one big loaf, and then a bunch of mini ones. I only baked the minis for 30 minutes. If you put them in little cellophane bags and tie them with ribbons, these make perfect little gifts for the holidays!