Pumpkin Bread

Whenever we carve our pumpkins up for Halloween Jack-o-lanterns, instead of tossing it all out onto the compost, we always scoop out the pumpkin seeds and roast them in the oven for a seasonal snack, but what do you do with the all the random pieces left over from carving? Pumpkin bread is an all-time favorite and can be a great way to use up your leftover pumpkin, or any of the winter squash for that matter. The spices used in most all recipes make this pumpkin bread a very tasty treat, and the water content of the squash keeps the loaf deliciously moist.

My grandmother used to make homemade pumpkin bread and pies all the time. After the all the actual pumpkin was used up though, she would switch to butternut squash. For her pies and bread, she preferred to use roasted butternut in place of pumpkin which is usually quite stringy and harder to work with. Most all pumpkin bread recipes can be made with fresh or a canned pumpkin puree. Using the pumpkin puree from a can you might give a more robust pumpkin flavor than using your Halloween pumpkin. If you have (or can get) any sugar pumpkins, butternut squash, or other variety pumpkin, they will all cook up quite deliciously. If you aren’t using canned puree, make the pumpkin puree yourself by roasting the pumpkin pieces, scoop out the flesh, and blend in a food processor or mash with a potato masher. A few slices of the bread are awesome in lunch boxes and are always welcomed at holiday parties. The moist and wonderfully spiced bread is guaranteed to please whether served for desert, breakfast, or as a coffee cake type snack with tea or coffee.

Here is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all-purp. flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups packed pumpkin puree
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Grease and flour three 7 x 3 inch pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Measure flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pumpkin, water, salad oil, eggs, and nuts. Beat until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Some ideas and tips to keep in mind when trying out recipes:

• if using self-rising flour, omit any baking soda, salt and baking powder
• double the recipe and make two loaves of pumpkin bread
• try using less sugar or use brown sugar instead of white
• experiment with walnuts or pecans and add a dash of vanilla
• try sprinkling some powdered sugar on top

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Tagged as: seasonal topics