‘Tis the season…for pumpkin! Now that all the little ghosts and goblins are home safe with their candy, and all the jack-o-lanterns have been blown out, it’s time to move on to some serious autumn cooking and baking, which, for me, means pumpkin. And lots of it! There are so many wonderful things you can make with pureed pumpkin, but none are quite so comfy-cozy-deliciously-autumn as a perfect loaf of pumpkin bread.

This tasty bread is truly at home on any table, and that makes it the perfect seasonal touch to add to your baby shower menu. Treat your guests to thick, hearty slices (perhaps smeared with some maple cream cheese), or send them home with their own yummy mini loaves decorated with a personalized square tag…either way, they will be singing your praises!

Pumpkin Bread

This bread is perfectly delicious plain, but if you’re more of a “chunky” bread person, it certainly benefits from a handful of chopped pecans or some chopped crystallized ginger thrown into the batter at the last minute. Also, for a truly beautiful presentation, sprinkle the top of the loaf with some large-grain sugar or some raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) before baking.

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour (you can sub in whole wheat flour for up to half of this)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled a bit

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350º. Grease or spray a 8”x4” loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together your flour(s), baking soda, spices and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar and stir well; add the eggs and pumpkin to your bowl, and stir until everything is well combined. When your oven is preheated, add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently until it’s all just combined, taking care not to over-mix. (This is where you will stir in the nuts, if you’re using them.) Spread the batter in your prepared pan, and bake at 350º for 50-60 minutes, until your loaf passes the toothpick test. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove your bread from the pan to a rack to continue cooling.

Enjoy!