SPICY PUMPKIN BREAD

Nothing compares to the smell of this bread while it's baking!  It's filled with spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.  This recipe is for one loaf of pumpkin bread, but I often double it for our family of five.  I have one child who hates raisins so I usually make one loaf with raisins and one with miniature chocolate chips.

SPICY PUMPKIN BREAD

Sift together:

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ginger

*Note:  you can use 1 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger if you prefer*

Mix together:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup raisins or miniature chocolate chips

1/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour average loaf pan.  Combine dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Pour into pan and bake for one hour.  Makes 1 loaf = 8 slices.

Fun Fact:  1/2 cup of pumpkin contains 338% daily value of vitamin A.  That means each slice of this pumpkin bread will provide a whopping 85%!