Jefferson County Recipe of the Day: Pumpkin Bread

Warm Pumpkin bread with a little bit of butter is perfect on any fall day!

Homemade Pumpkin Bread

• one 16 ounce can of canned pumpkin
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising flour)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 cups sugar or 3 cups of Splenda OR a 50:50 mix of the two.
• 4 eggs – beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (also optional)
• 2/3 cup water if you are using commercial canned pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and sugar (or Splenda).
2. Add the eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. If desired, add the raisins and/or nuts. Mix well, either by hand or with a mixer.
3. Pour into two lightly greased and floured 9×5″ loaf pans. Bake approximately 1 hour at 350 F (175 C). The test for doneness is the knife test: when a clean knife can be stuck in and removed cleanly. Remove from the oven and cool slightly (10 minutes). Then take out of pans to let cool on a rack.

Like banana bread, pumpkin bread tastes better if you wrap it in plastic wrap, refrigerate it and wait until the following day to eat it.