Quick breads are a quick, easy accompaniment to any holiday meal. For the best-tasting holiday quick breads, here are some helpful hints:

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- Only grease the bottoms of the loaf pans or the sides of the bread will pull away from the sides of the baking pan.

- Bake in the center of the center rack of the oven.

- When adding liquids to the dry ingredients, stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

- Quick breads can be made ahead and frozen from 1 to 2 months.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs, beaten slightly

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup chopped cranberries

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.