RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN BREAD

There are so many ways you can customize this basic recipe to highlight your own personal style, that you'll want to make multiple loaves just to experiment.

Remember, pumpkin bread freezes well, and makes great gifts for the holidays. For perfect pumpkin bread, you must have this.

This is a great pumpkin recipe and will be requested often...Can also be baked in muffin tins.

one (15oz) can pumpkin puree**
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup homemade applesauce
1 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup water
2 cups homemade brown sugar, packed
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

GLAZE:
1/2 cup homemade unsalted butter, melted
3 TBS homemade brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, apple sauce, vanilla, water and sugars until well blended.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in the walnuts and raisins; pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 70-90 minutes or when a knife inserted in the middle is clean. To make the glaze, melt 1/2 cup butter and add brown sugar and cinnamon; stir to dissolve. Poke holes in the cake and drizzle with this hot mixture.



**HOW TO MAKE FRESH PUMPKIN PUREE

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.

Use small to medium size baking pumpkins. Clean and slice meat from the rind. Cut pumpkin into squares and bake in a covered (or larger) dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until pumpkin is very tender. Remove and put immediately into a blender and make puree. Now it's ready for the recipe.

This recipe for pumpkin bread is my Mom's.

OLD FASHIONED PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE

3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1-1/2 cups homemade brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp clove
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup Wesson oil

PREHEAT oven 350 degrees and grease and flour 3 loaf pans.

Mix ingredients and bake in greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 70 minutes. Makes 3 loaves - great for freezing.