Pumpkin Spice Bread

This is the only original post this week, but I am pretty sure you will forgive me for not repeating a favorite recipe – you are always welcome to click on the “Recipe” category over on the left there to find older ones. This is perfect for the time of year – nothing is more seasonal for Thanksgiving than a pumpkin-y, rich, cinnamony quick bread. Great for a Thanksgiving Day breakfast that you can make ahead so you don’t have to fool with it at the same time as you are getting the turkey in the oven. Just slice this up and put it on the table along with a good supply of butter and some fresh coffee. Better hide a slice for yourself first though, because it won’t last long.

I have fiddled around with this recipe for years. I like pumpkin bread to have a nice burst of spice, so I have increased the cinnamon and ginger from other recipes I have seen. The lemon is really wonderful in here – adds a bright spark that I just love. One of the best things about it is that it’s adjustable – scalable even. The recipe as given here will make one full sized loaf or 3 mini loaves. You can double, triple or quintuple the ingredients to come up with as many loaves as you need. The only thing limiting you is the size of your mixing bowl and the number of pans you have. It has always been a favorite for gifts to teachers, neighbors and co-workers at Christmas time. Easy to make and always welcome. As I said, the recipe as written here is for just one loaf, but the photos are for a triple batch – just in case you wonder why it looks like so much.

For each loaf you will need:
The Dries
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

The Wets
1 cup pumpkin [canned, fresh – not the pie mix stuff]
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
The method could not be easier – measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until well blendedMeasure all of the wet ingredients into another bowl and stir with a whisk until well blendedStir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Make sure you get all of the dry stuff up off the bottom and mixed in – a big job the more loaves you are making. I have a long handled rubber spatula I love for this – it really gets everything up off the bottom of the bowl.Decant the batter evenly between the proper number of well greased bread pans. [hint – I cut up parchment paper I have used once for cookies to fit the bottoms of my bread pans – ensures a clean removal which is especially nice when giving these as gifts] Remember – 1 regular pan equals 3 of the little guys.Bake about 45 to 50 minutes for the big loaves, around 25 minutes for the little ones. Test with a toothpick inserted in the center – it should come out clean. Remove from pans right away and cool on wire rack. Store in sealed container or ziplock bag. Even better the next day – if there’s any still around by then!