Gram Small's Pumpkin Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Directions:

Cream together: 

  • 1 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. butter 

Add to this:

  •  2 eggs
  • 1 c. pumpkin*

Sift and add to the creamed mixture: 

  • 1 2/3 c. flour
  • 1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. ground cloves
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon
  • 1/2 t. nutmeg
  • 3/4 t. salt

Then add: 

  • 1/3 c. water
  • generous 1/2 c. chopped pecans
  • and generous 1/2 c. raisins

Pour into greased/floured loaf pan.  Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean.

Cool in pan about 5 minutes; turn out onto rack to cool.  

* I use only fresh pumpkin meat that I've baked and frozen, just as my mother always did, for any item that calls for pumpkin.  Canned pumpkin can't possibly compete with fresh, as far as I'm concerned.

Tips for choosing / preparing fresh pumpkins

Choose small pumpkins one would normally use for making pumpkin pies.  Break off the woody "handle" from the top of each pumpkin, then cut a hole in the top about 3 inches in diameter (just like when making a jack-o-lantern).  Replace the cut-out portion in the hole.  Place the pumpkin(s) in a baking pan and back at least an hour.  Remove from overn and allow to cool completely.

Once the pumpkin is cooled, separate the seeds and stringy material from the inside; also tear away the outer skin.  Mash the cooked and cooled pumpkin meat with a potato masher.  Spoon 2 cups into Ziplock frezzer bag, being careful to remove all air.  Lay bag flat.  Repeat with any additional pumpkin to be frozen.  These bags store in the freezer beautfully this way.  Once the puppkin has frozen, you can stand the bags up like books or stack them for storage in your freezer.  Just thaw when you need pumpkin.

This bread freeezes beautifully.

myrnawhite@outlook.com © Phil White 2014, 2016, 2019,2020