Spectacular Eats

While my house smells of warm cinnamon and pumpkin, I thought I would put this recipe out for you all.  I do love a good loaf of pumpkin bread.  And pumpkin cookies are just amazing!  Someday I want to try using the real stuff-  from a pumpkin I buy in produce… or better yet, one that we grow.  But for today, the canned variety works just fine.

This recipe is a favorite around the house.  It is moist and tender and full of pumpkiny goodness.  It freezes well and is good for breakfast or dessert (yummy broken up and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon!).  It just doesn’t get much more versatile than that!

Pumpkin Bread

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

adapted from Bon Appetit 1995

(makes two loaves)

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 16 ounce can solid pack pumpkin

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two loaf pans.  Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend.  Mix in eggs and pumpkin.  Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into a second bowl.  Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions.  Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans.  Bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Transfer to racks and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, cut between pan and bread to loosen and then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!