Pumpkin Bread Recipe

It's true.

I'm in love with pumpkin bread.

It's been that way for many years and I don't foresee it changing any time soon.

Our relationship was certainly tested last fall when my doctor-prescribed food restrictions eliminated that oh-so-perfect baking ingredient:  Eggs.

But never fear.  After a few failed attempts, I finally converted my tried-and-true egg-filled pumpkin bread recipe into a marvelous version that tasted just as good as the original.  Yup, that's right.  I've been eating eggs again for quite some time, but I am still making my pumpkin bread without them.  And believe me, I wouldn't do that if it didn't taste amazing.

In fact, I just baked a batch last week for my friend Steve's birthday and I didn't even tell him it was missing the eggs.  I'm pretty sure he didn't miss them.

Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of my beautiful pumpkin bread when I baked it recently, so you'll just have to make up the recipe for yourself and see how good it is, inside and out.  And if I miraculously remember to take pictures before I've eaten the whole batch next time, I will be sure and post them for you to drool over.

And now, the recipe:

Courtney's Pumpkin Bread

 

3 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp mace

 

1 cup oil

2/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups pumpkin puree (or one 15-ounce can)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.  Grease and flour loaf pans:  two large—9.5” L x 5.5” W x 2.5” D; or three medium—7.5” L x 4” W x 2” D; or six mini—6” L x 3” W x 2” D.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, water, vanilla, and pumpkin.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together with spatula until mixed.

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans.  If using, sprinkle chopped pecans over top of each loaf.

6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until tops of loaves are dry and cracked and skewer inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let rest in pans for 20 minutes before transferring loaves onto cooling racks.

A few side notes:

• My favorite loaf pans are the medium size listed above, as they tend to rise a little higher and are easier to bake all the way through.  In this size of pan, they take 70-75 minutes to bake.
• I didn't specify what type of oil to use because you can choose whatever you like to bake with.  I've done vegetable oil and olive oil and both work fine.
• If you want to add something like raisins to the bread (or if you want nuts inside the bread instead of on top), just fold them gently into the batter before pouring into the pans.
• Also, if you don't like or can't eat nuts at all, the bread will still be delicious.  I promise.  I didn't start putting nuts on top of my pumpkin bread until last year and now I've decided I really like it.  But leaving them out will definitely not ruin anything.
• After baking and removing from the pans, I like to cool my loaves completely (often overnight, under a loosely draped dish towel) before wrapping them up.  This helps to keep the top crunchy, which I love.
• This bread freezes well, in case you can't eat it all in one sitting, er, I mean, in a week's time.

And if you have any questions, please ask!  Everyone should be enjoying pumpkin bread this time of year.  And also in the winter.  And in the spring.  And even occasionally in the summer.  I'm just saying.