Pumpkin Spice Bread

This past weekend was the first sweater weather of the season in Atlanta. My husband and I wasted no time and whipped out the chai and our slippers and pretended it was much colder than it was. I swear a few degrees cooler and I would have lit our tiny wood-burning fireplace. Needless to say, we're ready for fall to be here. The smell of this pumpkin bread wafting through your home will definitely help you get into the cooler weather.

Three things set this recipe apart from most pumpkin bread. 1) There is no added fat. 2) It includes more spices. 3) It has more pumpkin: a whole can for one loaf!

I actually baked this twice once with a little fat (1/4 cup oil) and once where I subbed more pumpkin for the oil. I like the taste of the no-fat one more, but it came out a little gummy in spots. (I may have under baked or there might be a little too much moisture in the recipe.) The flavor though, yum! It reminded me of the Dutch spice bread ontbijtkoek, but more moist and with stronger spice flavor rather than molasses flavor. I'll probably play around with the moisture content and baking time to try and perfect the texture.

Check out how orange the batter is from the pumpkin:

I like to eat this bread with a little butter, but you could also bake these as muffins, add a topping, or stir in some nuts. (Pecans and walnuts are both good options.) Toasted pumpkin seeds are also pretty as a topping.

Pumpkin Spice Bread
Yields 1 loaf (about 12 servings)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 15 ounce can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1/3 cup water (I may omit or reduce the water next time since I think the loaf was a little too moist.)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, and water. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

3. Pour into a well greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 80 to 90 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.  Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. This bread tastes better the day after its baked once the spices have mingled a bit.