Pumpkin Bread, 3 ways!

Once upon a time, about 150 years ago, (apparently before we had to dial phone numbers preceded by the area code), my girlfriend Beth gave me a cookbook from her City of Hope chapter.  I decided to try the pumpkin bread recipe, primarily because it made 3 loaves (if it's good, why make 1 loaf when you can just as easily make 2, i mean 3 loaves?).  I've made this pumpkin bread just about every year since and it's always a hit!  And because it makes so much, i usually make one loaf with nuts and golden raisins (for mom), one loaf with chocolate (for everyone other than Debbie) and one plain loaf (for Jessica who doesn't eat nuts, raisins or chocolate).

The ancient book of pumpkin bread.

Ingredients --

• 4 cups sugar (i use 1/2 dark brown and 1/2 white)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 6 large eggs
• 1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 cups of chopped nuts, raisins, dates, chocolate or a combination of your choice

In a very large bowl,
Cream the sugar and butter until light with an electric mixer.
Add eggs and beat thoroughly.
Stir in pumpkin, vanilla and water and blend.
Sift dry ingredients together and fold them into the liquid ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
Add nuts and fruit and chocolate.
Pour into 3 well-buttered loaf pans and let set for 15 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated 350°F. oven for 1 hour.
Let cool before removing from loaf pan.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread, 3 ways!

Optional:  Add a dolop of fresh schlag!


Schlag, or Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar

Put cold heavy cream, vanilla and sugar in mixing bowl.
With stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and, start out slowly otherwise you have cream all over your kitchen.

It's actually very easy and takes about 2.5 seconds if you use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.

As the cream thickens, turn the speed up. As it gets foamier, start checking for a soft peak, which is what you want. The peak should bend over at the top when you remove the whisk. As it gets close, slow down, because if it goes too far, it will clump and separate (essentially become butter).

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