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It’s not autumn until there’s pumpkin bread

Posted Oct 16 2008 12:00pm
pumpkin bread

Autumn hasn’t arrived at my house. It has been delayed, waylaid and halted. It’s been forced into limbo by my pregnancy.

How can that possibly happen? I haven’t baked the first batch of traditional pumpkin bread yet. I’ve been lagging. The morning sickness, aversions and exhaustion have held me back from cooking dinner - much less busting out the flour, sugar, eggs and canned pumpkin for a bake-off.

I’ve been such a bump on the couch Jimmy hasn’t asked about it.

Of course, to show off, autumn has arrived to our neighbor’s houses. It’s apparent by their fancy-smancy Halloween decorations. Pathetically my house remains skeleton, Frankenstein and goblin free. All because I haven’t roused myself from a sprawled, snoring position and donned an apron.

I was feeling hopeless to herald in my favorite season until my second trimester arrived. Now each day is a bit easier. I’ve even become more adventurous and have rambled away from my snooze spot and interacted with the family. There have even been a few sessions of Rock Band. Even crazier, last night I put store-bought pizzas into the oven and fed the family.  (I know won’t wonders ever cease?)

Maybe this weekend I’ll be back to my good cheer and creating a whirlwind the kitchen. For me, there’s no better way to celebrate the season than by slicing into warm, nutty pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Bread

3 ½ cups sifted flour
3 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup water
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin (canned)
1 cup nuts (optional)

Sift all dry ingredients together into large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Add water, eggs, oil, pumpkin, and nuts. Mix well.

Pour mixture into 3 greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Because I can never leave a recipe alone …

I always mix it up.

A large can of pumpkin is closer to three cups than two. I modify this recipe by adding the whole can and ¼ to ½ cup extra flour. I don’t have glass loaf pans (which I prefer over metal) so I use a glass-baking dish and bake it longer — until almost done. Then I pull the pan out of the oven and let it finish cooking/cooling off on the counter. With this method I wait until the bread is completely cooled before slicing and serving.

The result is always super moist and delicious pumpkin bread.

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