I ran out of snacks for the kids yesterday.  So, I went to Trader Joe’s and picked up a bag of peanut-butter pretzels to stave off any late-afternoon belligerence. When I got home, I started dinner, then decided to make a pumpkin bread for the kids to snack on during the next few days.  It’s easy to put together and I thought we had all of the ingredients…

And we did…except for the cinnamon.

Blerg. I hate waiting to cook when the mood strikes.

Thankfully, Michael picked some up on his way home last night, so I decided to get up early this morning and bake.  A literal wake and bake, if you will.  It was already in the oven before the kids left for school, the pumpkin-spice scent delighting them with the promise of a homemade treat this afternoon.

They were kind of bummed that I didn’t put chocolate chips in it this time, though.

I’ve been tinkering with this recipe for about a year, but I’m finally happy with my adjustments.  It’s definitely a keeper!

Pumpkin Bread

(loosely adapted from Simply Recipes)

  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 C olive oil (I know it sounds strange, but it really brings out the pumpkin flavor)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 can of pumpkin, preferably organic (I just think the organic stuff tastes better)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/2 C dried fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate chips, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil until fully emulsified and pale yellow. Gently stir in the pumpkin, vanilla, and spices until the mixture is smooth.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture until they are fully incorporated, but being careful not to overmix. Gently stir in the optional ingredients if you’re using them.

5. Pour into a well-greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan or an 8×8 cake pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then turn it out and cool on a rack.

Makes one loaf, but can easily be doubled.  Enjoy!