Pumpkin Bread

This is the time of year when cinnamon and spice and everything nice becomes a reality, not just a nice little rhyme. One of my favorite things to make is pumpkin bread from a tried-and-true recipe that I’ve used for years. It’s deliciously moist and fragrant with warm spices. It’s very easy to make. The hardest part of the recipe is waiting for it to bake and then cool enough so that you can slice it!

I generally make my own pumpkin puree but canned pumpkin is perfectly fine. Your baking time may be a little longer since canned pumpkin generally has more water in it than your own roasted pumpkin will.

Pumpkin Date Bread

Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook

2 ½ cups sugar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
16 oz pumpkin
⅔ cup water

3 ⅓ cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup chopped nuts
¾ cup chopped dates

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of two loaf pans, 9x5x3 inches or three loaf pans, 8x4x2 inches.

Mix sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide evenly and pour into  the pans.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 60 – 70 minutes. Cool slightly and then loosen sides of loaves from pan and cool on wire racks. Wait until completely cool to slice.