Pumpkin Bread....

Wow it has been a long time since I have posted here...the Hurricane is finally behind us and we are just in the process of going through things that we do not want to put back in our basement...things from our kids, toys and Legos and things that they have had a hard time letting go of and we have kept, almost as a shrine to their childhood. But they are almost 19 and almost 21...it is time to let go of these things and have an adult or semi adult space to share together. We now have an empty nest, both of my sons are happily away at college, and we are actually enjoying just being us again. Of course we miss them like crazy...but it is a good thing. The way life is supposed to go on...we give them wings so they can fly...

Son #1 was home two weeks ago for fall break and he was under the weather. I fed him, took care of him, made an emergency pot of chicken soup...we enjoyed him and then sent him back to school rested and much better. Junior year in engineering takes its toll, long nights working with very little sleep. Son #2 was home last weekend for his fall break and it was a very short one....he told me what he wanted to eat for the two dinners he spent with us and in a flash he was gone. A friend of mine was going to visit her son in DC today and was kind enough to bring some food down to mine, he told me he is always hungry, he does not like the food...so I baked him Pumpkin Bread that he loves...he loves this one because it does not contains nuts,or berries , or anything but pumpkin and spice. It has a lovely moist texture...

My friend Becky/chefbeck gave me this recipe quite a few years ago. It comes from Bon Appetit. There is an addition of  a Pumpkin whipped cream that can be served with this bread. That is lovely as well, but more often than not I make it straight...I always think of her when I make this. I do that with just about every recipe that I receive from a friend that becomes a tried and true addition to my life....I think of it as a gift that I always treasure. I hope you will enjoy this as much as we do. I am glad to be posting again...I have missed you all.

Pumpkin Bread With Pumpkin Whipped Cream 
adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 2 loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup warm water

1 cup chilled whipping cream
3 T. sugar
1/2 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly butter two 9x5x2 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Beat 3 cups sugar, oil, eggs and 15-oz. can pumpkin in large bowl to blend. Sift four, baking soda, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Slowly mix in 2/3 cup warm water.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean (about 1 hour). Transfer loaves to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edges to loosen. Turn onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared up to 1 month ahead. Wrap in foil and freeze. If desired, rewarm thawed, wrapped loaves in 350 oven for 10 minutes.)

Beat cream and 3 T. sugar to stiff peaks in bowl. Fold in the 1/2 cup pumpkin. Slice bread and arrange on platter. Serve, passing pumpkin whipped cream alongside. 

My Notes: I got 5 of these little French paper baking pans out of this recipe...they took about 45 minutes to cook. If you use smaller baking pans I would start to check them at 25 minutes.