October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came --
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
-George Cooper-
Pumpkin spice and everything nice, that's what this bread is made of!
Baking traditions are a big part of our family culture. There are specific recipes that we reserve and set aside for special times of year or holidays. There are special menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter and New Year's Eve. And in the autumn, we bake bread. This pumpkin bread has been part of our yearly traditions for going on almost a decade. I have fond memories baking this on freezing, rainy November nights, while football games played in the background and in between taking loaves out of the oven, running outside to get a bit of fresh air, only to run back inside to quickly get warmed up again. Those are sweet times and fun memories for me and this bread was always a part of it.
Autumn just wouldn't be autumn without pumpkin bread.
Over the years, I have tweaked and played with this recipe and made it perfect for my family's tastes. I am especially glad that I was able to cut down on the sugar tremendously, using less than a third of what the recipe originally called for. We love making this bread in mini-loaf pans and freezing to enjoy over the cozy months, and we also love sharing with friends. {{smiles}}
Happy baking, lovely readers!
♥
Scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Bread
1 1/2 cup sour cream
4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cans pumpkin puree (15 oz. each)
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
8 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
In a measuring cup, combine the sour cream and baking soda. Set aside. The baking soda will cause the sour cream to grow and increase in volume.
In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with the sugar until creamy and thoroughly mixed together. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir well. Add the sour cream mixture and stir again.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder and salt. Gently add the wet ingredients into the wet and stir very well, making sure to get everything at the bottom of the bowl.
Divide the batter into mini-loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick coating and sprinkle a bit of sugar on the top of each loaf. Bake at 350*F for about 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes about clean.
Enjoy!
