Gourmet Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl and Pecan Praline Crunch

Ingredients:

Pumpkin bread:
1 15oz. can pumpkin
1 3/4 C sugar
2/3 C vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 C chopped dates (I used candy coated dates I had on hand)
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 C toffee pieces
1 T flour

Cream Cheese mixture:
4 T cream cheese, room temperature
3 T sugar
1 egg

Pecan Praline Crunch:
5 T butter
3 T brown sugar
1/2 C toasted pecans, finely chopped
1/4 C confectioners' sugar
Set 4 tablespoons aside

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour 2 loaf pans

Place 1/4 batter in each pan.  Add half the cream cheese mixture on top of batter; then half of the pecan praline crunch (reserving the 4 tablespoons).  Top each with half the remaining pumpkin batter.  Sprinkle the tops with 2 tablespoons pecan praline crunch.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until tester inserted near center comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.

Yield: 2 small loaves

It's always nice to break bread with friends, baking bread is even nicer!