Pumpkin Bread with Raisins

With all these pumpkins, where’s the bread?

Fact is, I always buy a medium size “show pumpkin” and a couple of small sugar pumpkins before Hallowe’en, just as tokens to the season. I no longer carve the pumpkins (nor do I have Hallowe’en hot chocolate for after trick-or-treating) — my kids are grown up and in homes of their own. I just like having the pumpkins until it’s time to use them.

I do use those pumpkins.

I cut them, bake the pieces and use the flesh for all sorts of pumpkin items.

Muffins. Pie. Soup. Cake. Coffee Cake. Even Ice Cream.

This coming week will be pumpkin bread time. I have lots of recipes for pumpkin bread. The one here is just the latest version.

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup mashed or pureed pumpkin

• 1/3 cup milk, dairy or nondairy

• 2 large eggs

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3”loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, pumpkin and milk until thoroughly blended. whisk in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until evenly blended. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Makes one loaf

Squash Bread with Kefir

When my kids were little we had lots of books in the house. There were favorites of course, like “Come Over to My House” by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss). We’ve kept some of them (that particular one has been read so many times that it is falling apart).

But there was one book, whose title I can’t recall (and I can’t find the book) that ended with a recipe for pumpkin bread.

If anyone knows the title/author — I would surely appreciate if you could tell me.

Anyway, at the time I’d never heard of pumpkin bread, which became increasingly popular as the years rolled by. But the idea of such a thing intrigued me, if only because I was familiar with other quick breads like cranberry-orange and banana.

So I tried the recipe and liked the result.

But it was only a beginning. Over the years I’ve made dozens of versions of pumpkin bread.

Including this one, using kefir because I happen to have some in the house. 

You can substitute buttermilk of course, or yogurt. And use more vegetable oil if you don’t like or have coconut oil. Also, use any kind of winter squash, pumpkin or otherwise.

Squash Bread with Kefir

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed cooked squash

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup kefir (or buttermilk)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the brown sugar, coconut oil and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the squash and raisins and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Add the kefir and vanilla extract and stir them in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Makes one loaf. 

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

My camera must have been knocked unconscious yesterday. I dropped it taking a photo of pumpkin bread. I couldn’t see anything in the frame and the camera wouldn’t turn off.

I started to research new cameras. Several hours later though I looked again and the light was off, I pressed the button and — a miracle — the thing was working again. So here’s what the pumpkin bread looks like. It is so fabulously moist and nicely spicy. Great with coffee or tea as a snack or even for breakfast. Give it a try. I’ve reprinted the recipe.

If you don’t have yogurt use buttermilk or milk plus a tablespoon of lemon juice. You can add raisins or dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts if you like (half cup of each).

Pumpkin Bread

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• finely grated rind of one orange (about 1-1/2 teaspoons orange part only)

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

• 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x5” loaf pan. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer or sturdy whisk) combine the sugar, brown sugar, orange rind and pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed for about 1/2 minute to combine ingredients thoroughly. Add the yogurt, vegetable oil, marmalade and eggs and beat at medium speed for about 1/2 minute or until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and blend them in thoroughly, beating until smooth, about 1/2 minute. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated knife.

Makes one loaf

Pumpkin Yogurt Bread with Orange and Spices

I spent the entire day inside, writing in between baking pumpkin breads. I tried several different recipes basing each one on an original recipe for applesauce spice bread. Changed stuff here and there. Had no applesauce so used pumpkin. Had no buttermilk so used yogurt. Tried different spices and seasoning combinations until I got it right.

I love pumpkin bread. It’s moist, spicy and makes my tongue tingle. Great with coffee or mint tea. Or milk I guess. Here’s the version I liked best. I wanted to take a photo but my camera fell and it broke. Now I can’t turn it off. Or on. Anyway, the bread is a soft amber color and looks lovely.

Pumpkin Yogurt Bread with Orange and Spices

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• finely grated rind of one orange (about 1-1/2 teaspoons orange part only)

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

• 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x5” loaf pan. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer or sturdy whisk) combine the sugar, brown sugar, orange rind and pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed for about 1/2 minute to combine ingredients thoroughly. Add the yogurt, vegetable oil, marmalade and eggs and beat at medium speed for about 1/2 minute or until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and blend them in thoroughly, beating until smooth, about 1/2 minute. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated knife.

Makes one loaf