Spiced Pumpkin Bread
This recipe is apparently from Epicurious.com and Bon Appetit Magazine, but I originally saw it in the Seattle PI.

I don’t like pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, but yesterday just felt like the kind of day that begged for something warm and spicy in the oven. I had 4 hungry roommates at home, all in the midst of mid-term studying, and the quiet kitchen was all mine. So I decided to give it a go.



SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes: 2 loaves
Flour-infused cooking spray
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly coat two standard loaf pans with flour-infused cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and oil and beat to blend. Add the eggs and pumpkin and mix well. Set aside.

Over a second large bowl, sift together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add to the pumpkin mixture in two batches, mixing well between them. Mix in walnuts, if desired. Divide batter equally between the prepared pans. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes in the pans. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Oh man, you guys. It turned out heavenly. This is arguably the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. It is extremely...moist...and very tasty.

Nicki joined me in the kitchen about halfway through the preparation and suggested throwing some raisins in the batter. That was a fabulous idea. We added about ¾ of a cup, but it probably would’ve been better with more. We also agreed that some vanilla frosting wouldn't hurt, but it's quite yummy on its own.

I couldn’t find our bread pans, so I ended up making one 8x8 square pan and 6 jumbo muffins.

They make perfect breakfast muffins: