This pumpkin bread recipe dates back a bit! In the late 70’s two brothers opened up a bakery in Winter Park, Florida. They were from the North! One day I rushed in, in a hurry and woefully late, to buy croissants for breakfast. Of course they had sold out of them! But, I did spy a sign on an intriguing little brown loaf sitting on the counter that was half price. “What is this?”, I asked hoping I could salvage my hasty trip to the bakery by purchasing something special for breakfast. “Oh, that is our grandmother’s pumpkin bread” the baker said. “Try it, it is really good!” I was sold – in more ways than one!

Pumpkin bread is definitely not a southern specialty! But, remember, they were from the North. The next day we had the pumpkin bread for breakfast and I began searching my cookbooks for a recipe. None to be found! A couple of weeks later our local paper featured the Libby pumpkin bread recipe in their weekly cooking section. They too pointed out that pumpkin bread was a northern specialty, but urged us Floridians ensconced in the South to give it a try.

At the time I had a lovely huge baking pan that was divided into twelve little loafs. This was when steak houses featured miniature loafs of bread with the meal. Bingo! I thought that would be a great pan in which to bake my pumpkin bread , wrap them up, put a ribbon around them (they looked very cute!) and take them to the bake sale at my children’s neighborhood school.

The little miniature pumpkin bread loaves were a hit. The next year I happened to arrive early to drop off my now popular pumpkin breads and there was a woman there nervously waiting for the bake sale to begin. I asked her why she had come early if she had no bake goods. Her response was “I want to make sure not to miss the little pumpkin breads!”

Aside from pumping myself up as a great pumpkin bread baker, the anecdote is to emphasize that you can bake pumpkin bread as little loafs, normal size loafs, muffins, and in a Bund pan (my favorite way).

Pumpkin bread is best if it is allowed to sit for a few days before enjoying. If I bake it in a Bund pan I usually put an apple in the middle so that it will “cure” even more. As tempting as a freshly baked pumpkin bread might be, it is definitely best as it ages a bit, sort of like most of us!!!

Ingredients:

Lightly grease bunt pan or equivalent and preheat oven to 325 degrees

Sift flour with salt, baking powder, soda, and spices.  Set aside.

Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until just blended with an electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and continue beating until very light and fluffy.

Beat in pumpkin alternately with the flour mixture until combined.

Dust the raisins, dates, and nuts with the ¼ cup flour.  Stir into the pumpkin bread mixture.

If using two or more pans, turn batter into prepared pans, diving evenly.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean if using one pan. If using more than one pan (2 smaller pans, several mini pans) adjust the baking time accordingly

Remember, baking time depends on your oven as well as the altitude in which you are baking! Adjust accordingly.

When the pumpkin bread is done, turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container with up to a month. I really, really does improve with age. It is an excellent bake good to mail as it not likely to get stale.