Pumpkin Bread (told you I'd come back to it)

Here's the pumpkin bread I leap frogged and told you I'd come back to.  AND, here's the confession about the pumpkin bread.  This is actually the 2nd time I've made it recently.  The first time it got all enjoyed away before I could photograph it so you didn't get to see it.  Please forgive me, unless you're one of the people who enjoyed it away.

The first time I made it without walnuts (because I forgot to buy them, eek.)  The second time I remembered!  Yay.  I liked it much better with the walnuts.  I tend to like a little crunch in my fruity breads.  The recipe called for pumpkin pie spice but it was EXPENSIVE.  I stood there contemplating the $6 for the tiny container and then I decided to read the ingredients.  It's all the spices that were going into it anyways so I just added an extra "pinch" of each.

Enough talk, here's some pictures.  I wish the internet had scratch and sniff or lick and taste or something fun like that.  Until then you'll just have to go with look and lust.  Enjoy.

 

 Ingredients:

 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup water

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon plus a pinch cinnamon

1 teaspoon plus a pinch nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch ginger

1 cup toasted walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Arrange walnuts in single layer on a baking sheet and toast, turning once, for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Meanwhile, grease two 9x5" loaf pans with butter.

2.  Allow walnuts to cool.

3.  Mix pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, butter, water, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.  

4.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and walnuts.  Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.  Pour into prepared pans.

5.  Bake 50 minutes to one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.