Autumn Spice Pumpkin Bread

     Pumpkin bread is one of the greatest joys of Autumn. As a kid, there was nothing like coming home from school to a freshly baked loaf, the aroma of warm pumpkin mingled with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove wafting from the kitchen. (Of course, pumpkin bread always tastes better the day after you bake it!)

     Now that October is nearing and it's starting to get chilly, I decided that making pumpkin bread would be a wonderful way to welcome the cool weather. My five-month-old daughter "helped" me make this bread. She loved putting her hands in the flour and helping me mix the batter. So sweet!

     This is actually my mom's recipe, tweaked just a little to use all whole, unprocessed foods. I've used sprouted whole wheat flour instead of white flour and maple sugar instead of refined white sugar. The maple sugar's flavor is very subtle and I think it blends well with the spices. And of course I replaced the vegetable oil with good old fashioned butter. Not sure about butter? Butter Believer has a great article here about why vegetable oils are bad for us.

     Feel free to add in some raisins, dates, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or whatever else strikes your fancy. I like just Plain Jane pumpkin bread, but feel free to experiment (and I'll pretend you aren't crazy).

     Enjoy a hearty slice for breakfast with your morning latte, or save it for a late afternoon snack with a steaming mug of hot cocoa (mix hot milk with 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp maple syrup). Enjoy the cool weather!

Pumpkin Bread

1 stick organic butter, room temperature (and more for greasing pan)

1 cup maple sugar

2 pastured eggs, beaten, room temperature

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/3 cup water

2 cups organic whole wheat flour or sprouted whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground clove

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x5 loaf pan with butter.

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until well blended.

3. Mix in eggs, pumpkin and water.

3. In separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, stirring manually. Mix just until moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX.

5. Bake for 60 minutes.