Pumpkin Bread :)

Obviously, it's autumn, and there are only a few more weeks left until Thanksgiving. We've got lots of cans of pumpkin, and of course, who doesn't always have sugar, eggs, and flour? One of my teachers is pregnant and craving pumpkin, and she put the thought of pumpkin bread right into my head. So then I wanted it. I was sure we had all the necessary ingredients, so I okay-ed it with my mom and set to work!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 4 eggs
• 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2-1/3 cups white, and 1 cup whole wheat.)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 15-oz can of pumpkin puree--NOT mix!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of loaf pans*, and set them aside. In an extra large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer (a whisk can also get the job done) on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set sugar mixture aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour mixture and water to the sugar mixture, beating (or whisking) on low speed after each addition just until well-combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spoon batter into prepared pans*.
3. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing**.

* Pan Sizes:

• Use two 9x5x3-inch pans OR
• Three 8x4x2-inch pans OR
• Four 7.5x3.5x2-inch pans

** It isn't really critical to cool on wire racks, or even store overnight before slicing. I waited only about 20 minutes before cutting into my first loaf, just because I couldn't wait. I didn't remove my loaves from the pans, I just left them in. To store this way, drape clean towels over the pans when bread is cool.