Delish Thursday: Perfect Pumpkin Bread For A Perfect Season

Hi Friends!

I am so excited! Saturday at 12:50 a.m. is the autumnal equinox, which means, my friends, that this date marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

Fall is my favorite season. Fall, that rusty orange and golden season marked with warm days and cool nights!

Pumpkins and colorful leaves and Halloween decorations are everywhere. And let’s not forget pumpkin spice! Delicious, amazing, wonderful pumpkin spice.

It seems to be in everything from hot drinks to baked goods! I even just recently bought a box of cereal that was pumpkin spice flavored! Aww, heaven!!!

So, in honor of Fall 2023, I am going to share my favorite pumpkin bread recipe with you. It really is a delicious, moist, pumpkin-spiced recipe and it is the perfect way to celebrate the autumnal equinox!

Now go and unpack your sweaters, put that extra blanket on the bed and enjoy some pumpkin bread! HAPPY FALL!!!

PUMPKIN BREAD

Yield: 2 -3 large loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup pumpkin (1 small can)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg or 3 tsp. pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp. cloves
• (Or you can replace the three previous spices with 3 tsp. pumpkin spice)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 to whole package mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, depending how chocolatey you like it (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour 2 to 3 bread pans. (3 if they are medium sized and 2 if they are large)
3. Heat the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a small saucepan until fragrant and steamy. Stir continuously until pumpkin starts to stick to pan (about 3 minutes).
4. Pour pumpkin mixture into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in water, then brown sugar, oil and eggs.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips if using.
7. Pour dough into the prepared bread pans.
8. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the dough comes out clean.

Delish Thursday is a KDXU weekly feature written by local St. George culinary expert Laura Squires. Laura doesn't have a restaurant or bakery, but if you've ever tasted her food, you know that she is one of the best food artists in the world! Laura has been a resident of Southern Utah for  more than 30 years.