Cranberry, Pineapple, Carrot and Walnut Bread

Can you believe it? A non-pumpkin post?! Don't worry, there's still one left to add to the four I already have for this fall season, and that will be when I make my Mini Cinnamon Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust and Pumpkin Pie Frosting for Thanksgiving tomorrow. It's been so hard waiting to make them, but only 24 more hours! Oh, and I almost forgot, there will be a celebrity post by none other than Ms. Vegan Mallory Malaney, who will be sharing her recipe for a vegan pumpkin pie! So that makes six recipes, but let's be honest, you can never get enough pumpkin!

Anyway, last night I made this bread and was a little skeptical of how it would turn out since it was deemed a "healthy, less sweet" bread in the review. I was originally really attracted to this recipe because I loooove carrot cake, and cranberries and walnuts just seemed so seasonal! (If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a seasonal type of gal...) This bread soared high above my expectations and is so moist and sweet! The pineapples and Craisins really add a lot of natural sweetening, and with only a half cup of splenda-sugar blend per loaf, you don't have to feel bad about chowing down! At least that's what I tell myself, and hey, it's the holidays! These are the times meant for indulging in fabulous, yummy food! :) This time around I had to leave out the walnuts since my sister, who will be coming home for this Thanksgiving, is allergic. It's still so good though! The walnuts would add some nice texture and since this recipe makes two loaves, you can always make one with, and one without!

As soon as I made this and tried it, I immediately thought of how great this would be for a homemade gift. It's a unique bread that turns out beautifully with lots of color from the carrots and dried cranberries, and it's also sturdy enough to transport. It's funny, I've been thinking about taking on the challenge of creating a Christmas fruitcake that's actually good, since they are the butt of so many Christmas jokes as the not-so-yummy holiday tradition of the generations before mine. Once the loaf cooked and I first cut into it, it kind of looked like pictures of fruitcake! (I say pictures because I actually have never seen a fruitcake in real life... haha) 

So I thought maybe this might just be the new substitution for fruitcake and a new Christmas tradition; cranberries and walnuts can be for Christmas as well as Thanksgiving! Please try this recipe, it's so good and healthy for you with all the carrots and fruit!! (About 200 calories per 1/8 loaf.)

Ingredients 

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar or 1/2 cup sugar-splenda blend
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 (8-oz) can crushed pinapple, undrained (I only had pineapple "tidbits" which work as well)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries + extra for the top
• 3/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°   
2. Lightly grease two 8x4" loaf pans and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (except for sugar).
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, shortening and oil until combined.
5. Add the carrots and pineapple to the wet mixture.
6. Add dry ingredients and stir until just thoroughly mixed.
7. Stir in dried cranberries and (optional) walnuts.
8. Pour equally into loaf pans and top with with a few dried cranberries.
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes (mine was perfect at 45) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Let cool for 20 minutes and remove from loaf pans and complete cooling on a wire rack. 
11. It's better the next day, so as hard as it is, just let it be! (Ok, ok I'll admit I cut into it within a half hour. But trust me, the next day it's much more moist and holds together much better!)

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!!