Pumpkin Bread

Chris enjoys my part-time status because he can request absolutely irrational foods (time-wise) without guilt.  Not that pumpkin bread really is all that time-consuming, but it is more than I'd usually pull off on a work day.  I do have to say, that due to a lack of cinnamon applesauce, this is not how I'd normally make it, but it still turned out to be delicious.  And apparently Chris's office happily consumed a loaf today. 

Grease and flour 3 loaf pans.  Yes, THREE.  Feel free to cut back the quantity, but I assure you, we are onto the 3rd loaf on day #2.  Granted, the office got one.

2 cups of pumpkin puree.  I roasted a pie pumpkin when it was in season, pureed the flesh, and froze it.  A can will do nicely, too, though.

Add oil and eggs.  If I had cinnamon applesauce, I would replace 1/2 of the oil here.

And entirely too much sugar for this to be considered healthy.   

Beat all of this together.

 

Your seasonings.  I am a ginger fiend.  I will over-add ginger to everything.  My preference, doesn't have to be yours.

Seasonings mixed in a separte bowl with flour and baking soda.  Now, if you were smart, you would have mixed the wet stuff in the larger bowl so that the dry could go into wet...I failed.  Combine them anyway.

Split the batter between your 3 pans.

YUM!!!

Ingredients


* 2 cups of pureed pumpkin (or a can if you must)

* 4 eggs

* 1 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 a cup of oil and 1/2 a cup of applesauce)

* 1/2 cup water (fresh pumpkin puree will be wetter than canned.  Adjust accordingly)

* 3 cups white sugar

* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 2 teaspoons baking soda

* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (if using cinnamon applesauce, this probably isn't necessary, but Chris would love if you put it in, anyway)

* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (ok...it may have been more)



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three loaf pans.

2. In your BIGGER bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil (or applesauce), water and sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Split between your three pans.

3. Ok, here's the tricky part.  Depending on how evenly you distributed your batter, and the type of pan, cook time will vary.  That pan on the right?  40 minutes.  The other 2?  48.  Undercook if anything, because no one likes burnt edges.  Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.