Sometimes, baking can help soothe the soul. A gentleman in my church died last week and it’s his funeral today. I won’t be able to go due to conflicting wedding things, but baked goods were requested for the gathering – and that’s the least I can do. The original title of this recipe was Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread, but I changed several ingredients and added a couple more – including apple cider and applesauce. Since Washington is the home of the most delicious apples anywhere, I think this is now a Northwest Pumpkin Bread.
Northwest Pumpkin Bread
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup apple cider
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, applesauce, oil, cider and sugar until well blended. Whisk slightly the eggs with the vanilla and add to the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin pie spice . Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 60 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Bakerlady 