Suck it Starbucks

Alternate title: Pumpkin Bread



I love Pumpkin. I love it all year 'round. I love Pumpkin Spice Latte season at Starbucks and I think their pumpkin bread is delish. But pumpkin is not something I save for when the leaves change color. This quick bread is something I make all year.

Unfortunately, I haven't made a batch of this (or any) bread in months. Mostly, I think, because there's never a really good time in Texas between the months of April and October to turn your oven on for over an hour. And also because I've been so busy making separate meals for everyone in the family since my daughter started eating solid foods in March. Puree's and roasted vegetables have ruled the kitchen for too long. Now that she's eating more and more of the foods we eat, I have a little time left over to get back to making these special treats once in a while.

This recipe makes one very large, or 2 medium sized loaves of pumpkin bread. I use my largest Silicone loaf pan and it actually expands on the sides as it bakes to accommodate the bread's girth. If you're using a regular, non-expanding loaf pan, I recommend that you make 2. I don't know why I've never tried to scale the recipe down. I don't like messing with baking equations so here is the recipe, as I've written it, to make one gargantuan loaf of bread.

Pumpkin Bread

15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix! Regular pureed pumpkin)
3 large eggs
.5 c applesauce
.5 c vegetable oil
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp (scant) baking soda
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 regular loaf pans (or one flexible silicone loaf pan)

In a large bowl mix pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla until blended.

Add eggs, applesauce, oil & sugars mixing until blended.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture.

Pour into prepared cooking vessel and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Baking times: Extra large loaf - 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. The cooking time for two smaller loaves may be shorter.