Pumpkin Bread

Whenever fall finally rolls around (and it takes it's sweet time down here in Texas), one of the first flavors I crave is pumpkin. It never fails. Every fall I am consumed with the desire to add pumpkin to everything, especially baked goods. It's a very versatile squash, and has many applications aside from the standard pumpkin pie. It's got a sweet, earthy flavor unrivaled by any other winter squash, and when mixed with the right spice, the combination can be nothing short of amazing.

I can't remember where I got this recipe, but I am glad I wrote it down, even if my handwriting was rushed. I don't have any photos of the finished loaf as it was gobbled up too quickly, but believe me when I tell you it was pretty and it was good.

Wet ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin pie filling, 1/2 cup oil (I used Smart Balance), 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Spices: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (didn't have any cloves), 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.

Pumpkin Bread

• 1 c. pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 c. oil
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves (I subbed pumpkin pie spice and it worked fine)
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin pie filling, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet, stir until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan, bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter if desired. 

Zucchini Bread

This was also brought to the family brunch. I made it out of necessity really, since I had a zucchini in the fridge that was about to go bad and David hates zucchini. It turned out awesome, super flavorful and moist, without a trace of zucchini.

2 cups of grated zucchini. IMPORTANT: Do NOT drain the zucchini! It adds much needed moisture to the bread!

3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients together. The recipe says to sift, but I don't have a sifter, so I used a whisk. I'm terrible, I know. 

3 eggs, 1 c. vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance), 2 1/4 c. white sugar (mine is lumpy because I store vanilla beans in it), 3 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups grated zucchini

Mix wet ingredients together.

Add wet ingredients to dry, stir in zucchini.

Pour half into greased loaf pan, bake at 325F for 40-60 mins. Makes two loaves.

Mom's Zucchini Bread (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 223 | Total Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 26mg