Bread Baking Bonanza

I don't know what came over me this week. Maybe the blustery cold weather was encouragement (boom).

First: Banana Bread. There is nothing ground breaking here just a pretty standard recipe. It should be a staple in all cook books.

• 3 medium sized ripe bananas
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 6 tsp. hot water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mash up bananas (really fine). Add soda, vanilla and mix together, beat well. Add egg, sugar, flour, powder, water, and salt. Beat. Gold in chopped nuts (if desired). Bake in greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan at 350* for 40-45 minutes.

Second: Pumpkin bread. What is pumpkin bread? Does it taste like pie? Bars? Is it a dessert? Is it a breakfast food? After tasting it, pumpkin bread is not a breakfast food. I am going to put it in the dessert category because it is very sweet but not as sweet as pumpkin bars. Imagine banana or zucchini bread except pumpkin flavored and a bit sweeter.
(I halved this recipe and used only 1 loaf pan).

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.