Pumpkin Bread

I love this time of year - pumpkins, fall, changing leaves, Halloween and the holidays coming. Not to mention the end of Dayight Savings time-I love that extra hour of sleep. I was sick last week and was reminded of pumpkin bread but my lovely admin assistant, Jenny, who sent me a pumpkin cake recipe. I decided to make my favorite pumpkin bread and send some to Abigail, keep some and share some with friends. I got this recipe many years ago from the Pacifc Sun, a free weekly newspaper. I could not find the original recipe so I can not give credit where credit is due so I apologize but here's the link to the Pacific Sun. http://www.pacificsun.com/

Pumpkin Bread my way

8 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons unbleached flour plus 3 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon  cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
~1/2 cup water

5 mini foil loaf pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position racks into the center. Spray vegetable spray in the foil loaf pans and sprinkle with flour. Knock out any excess. Set aside.

Combine remaining 3 cups of flour with the dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the pumpkin and mix.

Add about 1 cup of the flour mixture at a time. After it is incorporated beat in about 2 tablespoons water and repeat until all the flour mixture is well incorporated.

Pour the batter into the 5  mini loaf pans, about 3/4 full. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool.

I like to keep it simple but feel free to add raisins, walnuts or pecans at the end.

Mike loved this bread. I'm thinking of frosting it with cream cream frosting and making it more cake like. It's good toasted for breakfast with coffee or in the evening with a cup of tea. Enjoy!