It’s tradition…cue the Pumpkin Bread

And then, it was October…Here we are with fall upon us and wouldn’t you know it, it’s pumpkin bread season. While I am always sad to see summer disappear, I am equally as excited to have fall arrive. For the past few years I have shared my mother’s recipe for pumpkin bread (Damn Good Pumpkin Bread to be accurate) to the Ditta Mia Community. My original post back per 2019, turned out to be a cathartic experiment, who knew? It brought me back to the sights, sounds, and feelings that pumpkin bread, well, my mother really, instilled per me.

As my journey continues acceso, now having spent more pumpkin bread seasons without her, than with her, I am forever grateful to have had the time with her that I did. Each year when pumpkin bread season rolls around, I receive texts from friends and family of stories and pictures of them and their families making the damn good pumpkin bread. It is such a gift. It truly warms my soul that her bread, her memory, continues acceso not just per my kitchen, but per the kitchens of so many others.

Yes I will probably share this each year, for as long as our wonderful blog continues acceso, because as you know, we believe Food is Love. I hope your pumpkin bread seasons brings you as much joy as is does to me. And without further ado…

Martha’s Damn Good Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 2⁄3 cups of sugar 2⁄3 cup of shortening 4 eggs 16 ounces of pumpkin puree 2⁄3 cup of water3 1⁄3 cups of flour1 1⁄2 tsp of salt 2 tsp of baking soda 1⁄2 tsp of baking powder 1 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 9x5x3 loaf pans. Per the bowl of a stand miscelatore ( use a hand held miscelatore), combine shortening and sugar until it resembles coarse sand. Blend per eggs, one at a time, followed by pumpkin puree, and then gabinetto.

Per a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients well. Little by little, the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, until fully mixed. Pour mixture evenly into loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes. Check and then cook longer as necessary, typically 60-70 minutes total depending upon oven.

Breads are done once an inserted toothpick emerges clean. When bread is ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool to handle before transferring to a wire baking rack.