Yummy Pumpkin Bread

Here is another recipe that I love but haven’t made in ages. I don’t really have a whole lot to say about this recipe so this post will be short…..bet you’re happy about that. I got this recipe out of my favorite, all-purpose cookbook, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham. This is my go to book for answers to any baking and cooking questions I have like, “How to truss a chicken or turkey”, and other questions. I also used to give copies of this book as housewarming gifts. 

I like making this recipe and the Cranberry Nut Bread recipe that is in here, and which I hope to make sometime within the next few weeks, in mini loaf pans and give them to family and friends. Back when I baked this a lot, Reynolds was still making plastic wrap and I could buy it in red and green and I would use it to wrap my small loaves of bread,which made them look quite festive.

I apologize for the quality of my photos, which aren’t always good anyway, but are worse than normal. This time of year since the days are getting shorter my chance of using natural light is slim. That’s what happened here, by the time my bread was done, it was dark outside. Then, at the time, I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my camera, but I must have gotten something on the lense because it looks like there is smear of some sort in most of my pictures…the hazards of taking food pictures. At least it wasn’t a problem with my camera.

Pumpkin Bread
Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda
3. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
4. Pour into a well-buttered 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a straw comes out clean.
5. Turn out of the pan and cool on a rack

Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.

Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice

 Add spices, to pumpkin mixture.

 Then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. If adding nuts, stir them in next.

 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5 inch loaf pan.

 Bake 50-60 minutes until a straw comes out clean...or in my case, a toothpick.

 Turn out of the pan and cool on a rack.

Mmmmm....this smelled so good while it was baking. It tasted even better....I love pumpkin and all those delicious spices that are used in this bread.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I really don’t have a whole lot to say about these muffins….aren’t you lucky. Except that this may have been one of the first recipes that I found on the internet….probably about 10-15 years ago. I used to go to the old news groups; rec. food.cooking, rec.food.baking, etc. These groups are still out there, at least they were about a year ago, but they don’t have as much activity as they used to, with the exception of all of the spam that is now posted.

I'm reminded of my mother, whenever I make these muffins…she loved them.

Print Recipe

1 cup white sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400°

Beat sugar and oil, add eggs, and then bananas; mix thoroughly. Dissolve soda in sour cream, and add to banana mixture. Sift in flour and stir gently until just blended. Add chocolate chips.

Add mixture to a greased muffin tin; fill each cup to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins

Michael took one look at these bananas and asked if I wanted him to run to the store and buy new....couldn't believe I wouldn't just throw these out.  I told him that these are the best for banana bread and muffins. Why does he question what I do in the kitchen?

Mash bananas....I sometimes use a potato masher or imersion blender.

Whip eggs a little.

Mix sugar, oil and eggs

Add bananas and then sour cream mixture. Once again, I got carried away and didn't get a picture of the sour cream baking soda mixture.

Sift in flour and add chocolate chips.

 Fill muffin tin. Since I use dark pans, I always lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees....so I baked the muffins at 375.

 These were a little overbaked. I think Michael's oven bakes at a higher temperature than mine and I should have taken these out of the oven a few minutes earlier.

Even though the muffins were baked a little too long, they were still nice and moist. Michael was so anxious for these to be ready that he didn't even give them a chance to cool off before he grabbed one.