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 Casa Mia Community. My original post back in 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 in me.
As my journey continues on, 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 on not just in my kitchen, but in the kitchens of so many others.
Yes I will probably share this each year, for as long as our wonderful blog continues on, 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 water
3 1⁄3 cups of flour
1 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. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer), combine shortening and sugar until it resembles coarse sand. Blend in eggs, one at a time, followed by pumpkin puree, and then water.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients well. Little by little, mix 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.
