Pumpkin Spice Bread

OK- now I'm ready for a fall dessert treat. However, while this bread isn't so "dessert-y", its still DELICIOUS! The recipe for this Pumpkin Spice Bread is from The Taste of Home Baking Book (which is probably the greatest cookbook ever- 500 pages of cookies, cakes, breads, and brownies)


I've made a version of this bread every fall for like the past 5 years and every year I end up making like 2 more loaves because its just so awesome. So now, I bring the joy to you :)


How Long Is This Gonna Take:Total time: 1 hour (includes baking & cooling time). Actual active time: 10 minutes! That's right...you read correctly- an amazing, tasty bread that will impress all your friends & family made in 10 minutes.


What You'll Need:
3 cups sugar
1 cup veggie oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1- 15oz can of pumpkin
3.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup water


What To Do:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Combine sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in pumpkin and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, cloves, and allspice. Add to pumpkin mixture alternately with the water, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into 2 greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans


2. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until it passes the clean toothpick test (it took about 75 minutes for me). Cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing and placing on wire racks to cool completely.









**Hint from the Cook Book**
Much of a quick bread's (non-yeast/non-rising bread) success depends on the freshness of the baking powder and baking soda you use. (If you're like me- you can remember when you actually bought these, they've just always been in your cupboard...) To test them for their freshness

• Baking powder: mix 1 tsp powder with 1/3 cup hot water
• Baking soda: mix 1/4 tsp soda with 2 tsp vinegar

If bubbling occurs, then their still fresh. If not they should be replaced. Full Disclosure: I did this test on my stuff, and to my great surprise, THEY PASSED. Both my baking powder and soda are over a year old and I just keep them in little sealed "Gladware" containers- I guess it works :)