autumnal yummies :: pumpkin bread!

i love the foods of fall. apples. cinnamon. turkey and stuffing. cranberry sauce. soups and stews. homebaked breads. pie!

i love squash, but have never been a big fan of pumpkin. when pumpkin pie appears at a thanksgiving dessert table, i pass. when pumpkin soup is offered, i decline. it's just not one of those flavors that i really enjoy. the only place i can eat the stuff is in a quick bread or muffin. and since i had some left over organic pumpkin puree after this month's cookie carnival challenge (i actually did it early this time if you can believe that!) i decided to bake some. and man-o-man was it gooooooooooooood.

made the house smell all cinnamony and warm. it's like inside hug, i tell you. here is the recipe we used with our changes noted.

PUMPKIN DATE BREAD (williams-sonoma.com)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar ----we used only a cup...actually just under. and it was plenty sweet!
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup nut oil, such as walnut or almond or
  sunflower seed oil ----we didn't have any on hand, so i used canola
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg ----we omitted
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates ----we omitted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and oil until smooth, about 1 minute.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. The batter will be thick. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the dates just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix. Spoon the b

atter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top is browned and crusty and develops a long center crack, 60 to 70 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean. ----ours took much less time. more like 50-55 minutes. so set that timer a little early!

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the loaf onto the rack and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature, cut into thick slices.

we enjoyed ours with cream cheese, raisins and toasted walnuts! so yummy.