Favorite Christmas Breads

Well, it's been a while since I posted here - here are some recipes that I love making this time of year.

Cranberry Orange Bread

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon peel
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x1/2x2 or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3.
2. Stir together cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, orange peel, and beaten eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into pans. Bake 50-60 minutes.


Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup water
1 15-oz can pumpkin

1. Grease the bottom and ½ inch up sides of two 9x5x3-inch, three 8x4x2-inch, or four 71/2x31/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In a very large bowl, beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture and water alternately to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spoon batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves (although it usually makes closer to 2 ½ when I make it)