My Mom's Pumpkin Quick Bread

Pumpkin bread loaf... what's left

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors of the fall... it makes a great flavor for pancakes, muffins, soups, pastas, pies, coffees, and breads. Soon, it will be time to pack away the pumpkin recipes and make way for all of the goodies that come with the Christmas season.

The other night, while planning our Thanksgiving meal and working on ten other projects, I got a craving for pumpkin bread. I have not made it yet this fall, and was craving a slice of the moist, lightly spiced, childhood favorite. My first fall in college away from home, my mom sent me a care package with a loaf of this bread inside... it was the most wonderful surprise. The smell of the spices immediately reminded my roommate and I of home, and provided a taste of home cooking that we missed dearly. To me, this pumpkin bread = fall.

This bread is fantastic as breakfast- sometimes I like to smear a little cream cheese on top- great as a snack, and could even work as dessert. I brought one of the loaves to work today for a morning meeting, and can say that its a crowd pleaser!

Pumpkin Bread
Makes 2 loaves

3 cups sugar (I use about 2.5 cups)
2 cups salad oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cups water
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and oil together in large bowl. Add eggs and pumpkin; mix well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and stir with whisk. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, alternating with water. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes in pans, then remove from pans and cool completely.

I hope that you enjoy this bread as much as I do! If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, bring a loaf along with you- your host/hostess and friends/family will thank you!!