Spicy Pumpkin Bread

Today was a self imposed marathon cooking day!

You see, we are going camping soon and I wanted to get some things made ahead of time.
By some things I of course mean food. I made chocolate chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chip cookies, and trail mix and chicken soup, and I still have a roast simmering away in the crockpot for a beef stew!

If I am gonna be dragged kicking and screaming to a campsite then you better believe I will at least be enjoying the food portion of it.
Did I mention that I don't enjoy camping.
Well, I really didn't come here to talk about that but I may prove to have tales to tell after our trip.

I came here to talk about food, glorious food!!
Specifically Pumpkin Bread!!
Yes, that is the thing I forgot in the list above!
Mmmmm, spicy and moist pumpkin bread!!

But not this pumpkin bread!

I made this 2 weeks ago and wasn't totally digging it, so I decided to work on it again before presenting my version to you here.
Of course, since I was running a marathon today I took a total of zero pictures for your enjoyment.
Here take a moment to enjoy them all at once.....
















I have pushed and pulled on so many recipes that I really don't know who to give the credit to for my beginning place. The can of pumpkin puree, allrecipes.com, my foodie friend, and Starbucks copykat recipes are all places I gleaned information from.

I finally decided that I like it extra spicy and smooth as can be, so I left out oats and nuts and pumped up the spice works!

I hope you enjoy my version.
Click HERE for a printable of this recipe!

In an electric mixer or large bowl combine:

4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 cup oil
This is the course I took with the oil. I melted a half a stick of butter in a 1 cup pyrex cup, added 1/3 cup applesauce, and then filled in to the 1 cup line with my grapeseed oil.
I imagine you could use a full cup of canola oil just fine. So for you measurers....I suppose it would translate to something like this...
( 1/4 cup butter melted, 1/3 cup applesauce, 3oz. grapeseed oil)
2/3 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
(2 cups cane sugar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar)
You know me and my cane sugar! Again, I assume white sugar would be fine here, but don't quote me on that.

In a separate bowl combine:

3 3/4 cups flour
I decided to use a little bread flour to combat the heavy that the wheat adds...theory which seems to have worked, this is that break down...
(1 1/2 cups white wheat, 1 1/2 cups white, 3/4 cup bread flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
(used sea salt, use less if using table salt)
1 tsp. Allspice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves

Add the dry to the wet and stir just until combined.

Bake at 350* for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

My best buddy Tara just came over and had a sample.
She said she would still like it to be even more spicy!
I told her to save a bit of the half a mini loaf I gave her, to taste it again tomorrow as it is also my theory that it spices up with time.
She looked at me like I was crazy and replied incredulously, "Save some for later???"
You see, Pumpkin Bread is her fave!!
I will make a decision about the spices as well after I have had another sample in a few days.

As for right now though, this is pushing my buttons just fine!!!