Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin Bread

(Spoiler: Recipe isn't gluten-free.)

November isn't November unless I've made pumpkin br . . . stop the presses! It's February. Actually, my kids love pumpkin bread so much that I bake it year round. Only problem is in the last few years, I can't find canned pumpkin year round so I stock up. 

Let's get cooking.

Ingredients for two loaves because if I'm going to go to the effort to make a loaf, I might as well bake two.

2/3 cup shortening (I use butter, or canola oil if I'm out of butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening with sugars. Add vanilla and mix just until blended.

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

Add eggs one at a time (discarding shells), beating thoroughly after each addition. Gently mix in water.

3 1/2 cups flour *

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoonn baking power

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

(If I'm in the mood, I'll add some cloves, ginger, and/or allspice, and I'm usually in the mood.)

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add gradually to the shortening mixture and beat until smooth.

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup chopped nuts (Actually I never put in nuts, but if you like them...)

Add pumpkin to batter and mix gently. Add half the nuts to the batter, if so desiring the nuts to be added.

Lightly grease and flour two loaf pans. Pour batter equally between (by "between" I mean inside) the pans. If you're adding nuts, here's where you would sprinkle remaining nuts on the tops. Blech.

Bake at 350* for 45-50 min., or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

*For those interested, I use this same recipe to make gluten-free pumpkin bread. I substitute equal amounts of GF flour. Baking time does have to be increased. Use toothpick test.