A stop at a local Goodwill store proved successful when I found this recipe for pumpkin bread in a cookbook I had purchased. I don't know who this woman is or was, but she made a beautiful looking, and the best pumpkin bread we have ever had. Someone's lost cherished recipe has now become one of my family's favorites. And I want to pass it on.
You never know what you will come upon at a garage sale, flea market, or a thrift store. I have always loved the thrill of the hunt, the bargain hunt, that is. My mother was a tenacious yet smooth negotiator, as I witnessed her skills in "hondling," as she called it, in the markets of Mexico or the Bahamas. She would walk away if she didn't get her price, and if the man or woman let her walk away, she knew they had reached their lowest price. I do not have this skill set, but I do love a bargain, and to get those great deals, I enjoy browsing through thrift shops and going to the occasional garage sale. I love old things, always have. But I don't love all old things. I am very particular.
I check out the local Goodwill stores periodically. I love to look at the housewares and see if I can find something to go with what I already have or replace a vintage glass I may have broke, and I always look at the cookbooks. On this particular visit, I picked up a few of those self-published cookbooks that churches sell. They are always filled with simple, easy recipes that are classics, and sometimes family heirlooms. One of the books had two photographs in it, a recipe clipped from the newspaper, and one hand-written recipe card for pumpkin bread. It was just a list of ingredients with concise instructions—no cookbook today would ever have this short of a description on how to make something. I had to make this recipe and see if it was any good.
When I took the pumpkin bread out of the oven, it looked like the perfect loaf. It was the color of pumpkin pie and had some cracks down the center from the cake expanding as it cooked. It was beautiful, and it smelled amazing. The scent of cinnamon and cloves wafted in the air. It smelled like fall in my kitchen. I was back in Illinois for a brief moment, making pumpkin bread for my children as an afterschool snack.
After the cake cooled, I was excited to snap some photos of it, hoping that the pumpkin bread recipe tasted good enough to share. I sliced off a small piece, and it was delicious. It was soft and moist and had the perfect balance of spice and pumpkin.
As I set up the scene for the photos outside on my patio, a young couple walked by, and cutely asked if I was giving out samples. I happily responded and sliced off a large piece for them to try. The young man said it was the best pumpkin bread he had ever had. I will agree, it was the best. And what makes this recipe even more remarkable is that someone tucked it away in a book and forgot about it, and I rescued it. This recipe should be shared and celebrated. So, I am passing it on to you. Enjoy!
Until next time, friends! XO
Pumpkin Bread
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup of pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup water
1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with unsalted butter, or use cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil, eggs, water, and pumpkin together until smooth. Combine dry ingredients. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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