Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Bread

It was a long week.  Normally, my Fridays aren't so bad, but today seemed to drag on... and on... and on. 

I came home and decided to bake some up hearty bread for my weekend of long runs and endurance rides.  Oh, and studying.  The weather is gorgeous for November!  I don't mind cold weather, but I'm not so much a fan of cycling in those uncomfortable cycle pants that are a necessity for cold weather cycling.  Oomph.

So, I popped on some Christmas tunes (yes, already) and began to bake.  I mixed up a fantastic recipe for Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Bread that I found on My Kitchen Addiction.

Seriously, this bread is amazing!  So good, so perfect, and exactly what I was looking for in a hearty, fall bread.  YUM!!  I made a few slight changes, more or less because I didn't have the ingredients on hand.  I also swapped the oil with applesauce.   For some reason, I always substitute oil with applesauce.  It makes the bread a bit dry, but I don't mind it and I'm not a big fan of oil.  So, it works for me :)

Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Bread

adapted from My Kitchen Addiction, who adapted from Simply in Season

Ingredients  (yield, 1 x 9-inch loaf)

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour  (I used whole wheat flour)
  
• 1/2 cup wheat germ  (I used wheat bran - didn't have wheat germ)
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I omitted and used 1/4 cup applesauce)
  
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• Additional brown sugar and wheat germ for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, sugars, baking soda, salt, and spices.  
3. Make a well in the center, and add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and oil. 
4. Mix just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.  
5. Add the cranberries and pecans and stir to incorporate into the batter.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with some additional brown sugar and wheat germ. 
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  
9. Remove the loaf from the pan, and then cool completely on a wire rack.