Fresh From The Oven...

One of my favorite things to make this time of year is pumpkin bread. This recipe has been in my family since I was a wee-tyke. I believe the story goes that as a young child I asked my mom about the recipe on the back of the pumpkin can. Being a feeder herself, she whipped up the most delicious batch of pumpkin bread, and the rest is history. I add added a dash of vanilla and perhaps some of the spices over the years.

Right now I have a quadruple batch of pumpkiny goodness in my oven (well, truth be told, only half of it actually fit in my oven). I have mini-muffins, normal muffins, large muffins, mini loafs, regular sized loafs and a 9x9 pan. Pretty much every baking pan I own is involved in the pumpkin-baked-goods process and my kitchen smells yummy.

A normal sized loaf pan takes 60 minutes and any variation you make to the baking container you use will change the cooking time. I believe my mini-muffins take 35 minutes, mini loafs 40, etc. Just start checking after 30 minutes and when the edges are brown and pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean, you are good to go. The smell test works well also...when it smells delicious it is most likely done or very close.

But what to serve pumpkin bread with?? I love butter or peanut butter on my pumpkin bread. If you are looking for a lovely holiday gift for your neighbors, look no further.

Pumpkin Bread
Makes 2 loaves

4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup salad oil (you can use olive oil or butter)
2 cups (16 oz.) pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of powdered cloves

1. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil, water, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix well.

2. In another large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices.

3. Make a well in the center of these ingredients and add the pumpkin mix to this. Mix all the ingredients. Turn into well oiled loaf pans.

4. Bake at 350 for one hour. Remove pans from the oven and set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from baking pans and store.

A tip: I brush butter or oil on inside of my baking vessels with a pastry brush. I also dust a coating of sugar on top of the oil to help the bread release after baking.

Another tip: This bread freezes incredibly well. But when defrosting frozen breads, don't leave them in the fridge overnight or they tend to dry out. The best way to defrost frozen bread is on the counter.