This is the pumpkin bread I grew up with. I have no idea where mom got the recipe, and chances are, she doesn’t either. The original recipes calls for vegetable oil. Hello, 1980! Through the years, I supplemented with canola oil, and for the first time last night, I used coconut oil and it worked just as well. This is the type of bread that appears only once or twice in the year and it’s usually this time of year. It’s so good that whenever I make it, I always think, I should really make this more often. We all love it. Bri helped me make this last night and first thing this morning, Leah requested it for breakfast. I sliced it and served with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup refined coconut oil, or canola oil
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 can pumpkin
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation:

Raise the bottom rack to the next level up. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease or use non-stick spray to prepare 2 loaf pans, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. In a medium size bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, cloves, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, & cinnamon, whisk together. Alternate the dry ingredients and water into the creamed mixture. Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Leave in bread pans for 20 minutes to cool before removing and transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTE: These freeze well and because the recipe yields two loaves, I wrap one in plastic wrap and add to a gallon size bag and place in the freezer. I’ve also made one loaf and used the remaining batter for muffins. If making muffins, line muffin tins with paper liners (I so dislike removing the liner and seeing half of my muffin stuck to the paper so I spray the muffin liners with non-stick spray) and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.