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I'm not even sure exactly where I got this recipe. I've been making it for the last 10 years. All I know is that I altered it to make it my own and the results are amazing. My secret is to wait until someone has eaten at least one piece to tell them it has no oil and less sugar than regular pumpkin bread. The flavors compliment each other so well. The tart cranberries with the sweet pumpkin... heavenly. It's one of my sister's all-time favorites and she began asking for the recipe after I made it for her one year. But it never failed that each year she would somehow "lose" the recipe and need me to transcribe it for her once again.... repeatedly... every... year. So one year I thought I'd write it up nicely on a personalized recipe card... surely she'd never misplace that! Alas, I was mistaken. Another year or two went by with me sending her yet another copy of this treasured recipe. So when I bought my cranberries this year in anticipation of my bread making, I also anticipated typing up the recipe... it had become a tradition. Then lo and behold, she posted on my facebook page that although she, too, had thought she'd have to beg for the recipe again, she somehow found it! So proud of you big sister :) although secretly I never minded you asking.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

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

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove to racks to cool completely.