Welcome, Autumn

When I think of the Fall it always brings to mind specific scents like cinnamon, cloves, and bonfires and of course the sound of rustling leaves and the taste of apples (pies, cider, apple butter, candy or caramel apples).  

I can't do much about bringing you any cider to sip while you stroll through the leaves on your way to a bonfire, but I can share Beverly Nye's recipe for spicy pumpkin loaf. 

My mom made this quite often in the fall and winter months.  One year, I adapted it to mini loaf pans and gave them as treats for Christmas.

Spicy Pumpkin Loaf

Combine:

3-3/4C flour

2t soda

2t cinnamon

1t salt

1t nutmeg

1/2t ginger

1/2t ground cloves

Cream:

2 sticks butter or margarine

Gradually add:

2C sugar - cream well.

Blend in and beat well:

4 eggs

At low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with 1-1/2C canned or cooked pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Stir in 12oz pkg chocolate chips and 1C chopped nuts.

Turn into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour.  Cool, then drizzle with the delicious spice glaze (below).  Slices better after a day.

Spice glaze

Combine:

1C powdered sugar

1/4t nutmeg

1/4t cinnamon

dash of cloves

Blend in:

3-4T hot water until the consistency of a glaze.

This recipe is taken directly from Bevery Nye's cookbook, but once again I pretty much mix everything together as I go (such a rebel) and this bread also freezes well.