Power Packed Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (about a 5lb pie pumpkin)
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple juice
1 large apple, diced
Mix all dry ingredients (except sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, juice, sugar, and pumpkin until well blended. Slowly add in the dry ingredient mixture. Lastly, stir in the apples. Bake in greased loaf pan @ 350 for 40-50 minutes. (Makes 2 loaves)
Healthy Alternatives
- Toss in some cranberries for extra tartness & vitamin c
- Substitute applesauce for oil
- Cut out 1 cup of sugar and in its place use 3/4 cup honey (and decrease the apple juice to 1/4 cup)
- Use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose
- Mix in some flax for extra fiber.
Making fresh pumpkin puree:
- Purchase "pumpkin pie" pumpkins - these are different from the pumpkins used for carving.They are usually smaller and a darker orange than most carving pumpkins.
- Cut it in half and scoop out any seeds (save don't toss them though - you can dry these out and bake them!)
- Place the halves, cut side down, in a baking pan along with about 2/3 of a cup of water
- Bake @ 375 for until you can pierce the skin with a fork (about 45 minutes for a 4-5 pound pumpkin)
- Let cool and scoop puree from shell. Mash or blend as needed for your recipe.
- Puree can be used immediately or frozen for future use
Published October 17, 2012