Pumpkin Bread to Inspire Shouting

Okay, I'm going to confess something terrible right now: while I love pumpkin pie beyond all reason, I don't go crazy for other pumpkin-flavored things. In fact, many of the seasonal pumpkin things rather baffle me. I tried a pumpkin latte from Starbucks once, and found it unworthy of trying again (and definitely unworthy of the price tag). I have not tried Jamba Juice's pumpkin smoothie, because quite frankly, I find the combination of icy/pumpkin both perplexing and upsetting. Why would you want to DRINK something that tastes like a PIE? A pumpkin pie is already in its ideal state. It shouldn't be frozen and go through a straw. It should be custardy, served in a flaky pastry crust, topped with obscene amounts DIY whipped cream (a little sugar, a lot of vanilla). I made just such a pie last week, but did not blog it, because the ideal pumpkin pie recipe is the one on the back of the Libby's can with a little extra cinnamon added.

This pumpkin bread is pretty good, too. It's sort of the inspiration for this little Society of Cinnamon and Media Studies - I posted the recipe on Facebook and there was a lot of virtual yelling. It's also inspired actual yelling, in our department offices, directed at me and coming from our office manager. Something about how I must have laced the bread with illicit substances because she couldn't stop eating it.

Unless bourbon vanilla is an illicit substance, I have done no such thing.

In the interests of full disclosure, I stole this recipe from somewhere on the internet, but the stolen version turned out not that great. I've made changes. I'm still making changes. I am TINKERING. It's good enough to publish now, though.


Set oven to 350 and grease two loaf pans.

Mix:
15 oz. (one can) pumpkin
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar OR 2 cups white, one cup light brown
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended.

Optional: Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups nuts (walnuts! pecans! almonds! possibly cashews although I haven't tried that and it sounds weird even though cashews are my favorite! hazelnuts would probably not be good!), 3/4 cup dried cranberries, OR (I just tried this for the first time, but haven't tasted it yet; if it's bad, you can blame my Aunt Nancy whose idea it was) 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until done.



I'll probably be hanging around campus with some of this stuff tomorrow. I can't eat two loaves of pumpkin bread by myself. I'll share if you're nice.