Recipe Corner: Pumpkin Bread

I love autumn: the beautiful colors, the crisp temperatures that are just right for curling up with a mug of tea or hot chocolate and the ready availability of various kinds of squash, which I think is delicious. Dealing with the tough hulls of most squashes intimidates me, so I usually settle for recipes that don't involve trying to hack through them. One of my favorites is this one for pumpkin bread, which I made for the first time this season yesterday. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

Servings: ~20 (two 8" x 4" loaves)
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: ~1 hour

Difficulty: Easy. Just toss the ingredients into a bowl, stir and pop in the oven.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I'm debating trying this with half whole wheat flour, but haven't done it yet.)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (If you want a slightly less sweet bread, don't pack it.)
2/3 cup granulated sugar

15 oz. pumpkin puree (I use one can of Libby's Pure Pumpkin; most recipes for this quantity call for two cups, but I found that it didn't quite bake all the way through on the inside unless I let the outside get a bit too done, so I use just a bit less.)
1 2/3 cup applesauce
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8" x 4" loaf pans (I use cooking spray or parchment paper; use your preferred method.)
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until the flour has been fully incorporated. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans.
3. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cover tightly with foil; allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent the foil loosely over the loaves and allow to finish cooling. ("Steaming" the bread locks in the moisture of the pumpkin and allows it to set a bit, which is one of the things that makes this bread so delicious. Do give it the full 10 minutes - the first time I made this recipe, I got impatient and turned the loaves out to cool early, which caused one to break in half.)

This bread doesn't really need butter, but adding it (and microwaving it for a few seconds, if you're not eating it still warm from the oven) completes the rich flavor of fall. Add a cup of tea or coffee and pretend you're walking through a forest flaming with the colors of autumn. (Or go for the walk, then have the bread!)