Happy Columbus Day! If you have the day off, hope you're enjoying it and if you've just been through Hurricane Matthew, I hope you're all ok and didn't sustain too much damage. Today will be a short post, holiday and all, but I wanted to share this terrifically seasonal and easy recipe for Pumpkin Nut Bread with you. For so many years, I steered clear of all things pumpkin only to discover that it's the spices that usually accompany pumpkin like nutmeg, cloves and ginger that aren't my fav but that the actual pumpkin is something I love!! And this pumpkin bread, which you can make with or without the nuts, is one of my absolute favorites. It's light, not too sweet and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, although the lack of a drink would not make me or those I've witnessed in close vicinity to this bread, refrain from gobbling down a slice!! Plus, it makes two loaves, so you can keep one for yourself and give one away (although I won't tell if you decide to keep both for yourself--you might find it hard to part with!!) In any case, one bite'll definitely plant you in the autumnal season--try it today and let me know what you think! I hope you love this as much as all of us around here do!!

And if you're looking for other yummy pumpkin-based recipes check out these Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chippers, Pumpkin Silk Bars (amazing for Thanksgiving), Pumpkin Seed Brittle, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Pumpkin Surprise Muffins, Easy Pumpkin Bars, Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Pumpkin Cheesecake--as you can see, my love affair with pumpkin has really blossomed!!

Easy Pumpkin Nut Bread

Makes two 9x5-inch loaves

Prep Time:  15 minutes; Bake Time:  About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
• One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional--you could also sub in chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruits if you like)

The Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans--you could also just spray them with Pam with Flour and set aside.

2.  Into a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside,

3.  In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs and oil together until well blended. Use a large spoon to stir in the pumpkin, water and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir gently just until all the ingredients are mixed together. You really don't want to over mix this or any other quick bread or muffin or the crumb will come out tough. If using the nuts, fold them in, using a large rubber spatula.

4.  Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smooth the tops and bake for about 1 hour or until the tops of the loaves crack and a tester inserted into the center of the pans, comes out clean. If even a little bit sticks to the tester, bake them for longer and retest--you don't want the cooled product to be at all gummy.

5.  Let each bread rest in the pan on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. Then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely. Slice and serve. Bread keeps tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook. I left out the tablespoon of nutmeg. If you're a fan of the spice, add it in when you add the cinnamon.