Pumpkin Walnut Bread Recipe

I did some baking this weekend and though I'd share the recipe for my pumpkin bread. I love my orange veggies-pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash. I made some sweet potato soup several weeks ago that came out very good, and it's not a cream-based soup. Lots of flavor. Today I'll share the pumpkin bread recipe, perhaps you'll find it useful.

"Pumpkin, nutmeg, and walnuts combine to yield a moist, tangy and slightly sweet bread with an indescribably good flavor. Serve partnered with meats or cheese, or simply lightly buttered." I tend to leave out the walnuts. I'm fond of the buttered slice and a cup of coffee perhaps flavored with eggnog. Sitting in the dark, the house quiet, thinking about the progression of the next story I'm working on perhaps. How would my protagonist spend Christmas?

This recipe adapted from "The Cook's Encyclopedia of Bread" by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts chopped (optional)



1. Grease and neatly line a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 d F. (I don't line the pan)

2. If using fresh pumpkin (use 1 1/4 lbs. pumpkin, peel, seeded, and cut into chunks), place the pumpkin in a saucepan, add water to cover by about 2 inches, then bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is very tender. Drain well, then puree in a food processor or blender. Let cool.

3. Place 1 1/4 cups of the puree in a large bowl. Add the sugar, nutmet, melted butter and eggs to the puree and mix together. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl and make a well in the center.

4. Add the pumpkin mixture to the center of the flour and stir until smooth. Mix in the walnuts.

5. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until golden and starting to shrink from the sides of the pan. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

(If fresh pumpkin is not in season, canned pureed pumpkin in the same quanity makes a fine substitute. (I use 1 small can of Libby's pumpkin).

Christmas Eve will find baked ziti, garlic bread, merlot wine, chocolate pie with homemade whipped cream. Perhaps a bit of anisette in the coffee.

Christmas morn is when you'll find the pumpkin bread on our table, along with strawberry omelets, bacon, orange juice, cinnemon rolls, and coffee.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday.