Flavors of Fall {Mom’s Pumpkin Bread}

One way that I knew fall had arrived when I was a kid: my mom would bake pumpkin bread.  I LOVE my mom’s pumpkin bread.  So much so that when I was working on a presidential campaign in Wisconsin, my mom mailed me a loaf.  And I didn’t share it with my coworkers.  They were not pleased.

I’m actually shocked that I am about to share this recipe, because I love it so much and I have never tasted another loaf of pumpkin bread that tastes quite like my mom’s, but here goes!

You’ll need:

First, preheat your over to 350 degrees.

Then, sift together the dry ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Next, mix together the wet ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin (I always use canned, but I bet fresh would be great too)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 eggs **what I learned in Home Ec in 7th grade: always crack your eggs in a separate bowl so you don’t get shells in your dish.  And whisk them before adding so they’ll be fully incorporated.  Thank you, Mrs…..oh crap, I can’t remember her name!

Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well:

So it looks like this:

Pour it into a greased and floured large loaf pan:

Naturally, you’ll need the approval of the cat to proceed.

And then stick it in the oven for an hour.

The result:

And just for fun, here’s a picture of me with my loaf and Jeromy with the new top that he made for our side table:

Also, some proof that I really do make a ginormous mess in the kitchen (though this one wasn’t so bad):

Please excuse the mess in the rest of the house.  Obviously, doing construction in our house 6 days before our wedding was not our best idea ever.

I would love to dig into this loaf right now, maybe with a schmear of apple butter, but I made this for my family and friends that are coming into town on Thursday.  If there’s any left, my bridesmaids can also enjoy it while we get ready on Saturday.  Along with a banana-walnut loaf that I am about to put into the oven!

I’m sure that there are ways that this recipe could be a lot more wholesome and healthy, but this is the recipe that I knew growing up and I love it just the way it is.  Maybe making this more wholesome is an effort for another day.  What about you?  Do you stick to tried and true recipes from your mom and grandmother?  Or do you make them more wholesome?  Share in the comments!

Tagged as: bread, breakfast, brunch, dessert