Every year on or around the first of October my husband ventures into the kitchen to bake the one thing he knows how to make: his grandmother’s pumpkin bread.
He doesn’t just make one or two loaves though.
No, after a morning full of flour spills and fished-out eggshells, every inch of our countertops are covered with little brown rectangles. Our friends are ok with this, or at least they pretend to be, because they always smile and take the bread so lovingly offered.
So this morning I heard hubs banging around in the kitchen and at first I think he’s going to bring me coffee. I’m thrilled.
Soon, though, the questions begin.
“Where’s the mixer thingie?”
“Is pumpkin a dry measure or wet measure? Which cup do I use?”
“Where are the measuring cups?”
Damn, dude. Bring me some coffee first.
Then he really runs into a problem. He brings me the can of pumpkin.
“I need two cups of pumpkin. How much do you think this can holds?”
Really?
After we have a short tutorial on how to read labels, he’s back at work, trying to convert the whole recipe to fit the amount of pumpkin he has.
Finally, I tell him to simplify it and scoop out ½ cup of pumpkin to make it easier. A light bulb, in all its incandescent glory, suddenly appears above his fuzzy blonde head.
For all the teasing I gave him, I have to admit, that was the best damn pumpkin bread ever.
I don’t think we’ll share with anyone this year. But you can make your own – here’s the recipe.
Pumpkin Bread
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
2 tsp nutmeg
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cups water
1 tsp ginger
Mix eggs, oil, water, and pumpkin. Mix dry ingredients and add gradually to other mixture. Grease and flour three loaf pans, add mixture, and bake one hour at 350 degrees.
Mamamash 
He bakes too? I wish I could at least smell it…
He bakes this. And I can’t lie, it’s freaking awesome. Perfect flavor, and totally the M word.
So this says 2 cups pumpkin. Do I just dish out 2 cups out of the can or do I have to do some conversion crap too? Lol
OMG. I married my sister.
Yum, that looks delish!
I work off a metric system so I have to convert almost every damn recipe before I start, and triple check everything before I measure and mix. All that is to say I’m darn good at fractions.
If only the whole world got with it and used the metric system, right?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmakin it!
Ha! For some reason, I love the way you wrote that.
yumm-o! Looks delicious!!
Hi Cori! It’s ahhhmazing. For real.
I have to give this a try. But I’m living in a country without canned pumpkin, so I guess cooked squash would work too, don’t you think?
I bet it would. Might taste a little different, but should do the trick! Let me know!
I always need G’s help with fractions. I’m a TOTAL math idiot. It’s scary.
The bread looks delicious! I’m not much of a baker, but I may give this a shot. 🙂
You should definitely try this. No kidding, it’s fantastic. Be sure to underbake it just a bit.
Next time I bake, I’m tweeting you for the help with fractions. 😉 That does look delish! Will have to make some of it this fall. ps – your tags are hilarious!
I’m always available for math lessons. 😉 And thanks!
That’s cute! Your husband baking. Mine doesn’t do anything like that!
Oh, it only happens once a year. 🙂
Ha! That’s too funny. At least he makes it. Tyson likes to bake, too. Aren’t they cute in the kitchen?!
No. No they are NOT cute in the kitchen! There was flour everywhere! 🙂
Love it. A man who cooks is a good thing, indeed. And fractions are pretty rockin’, too 🙂
He cooked for me once when we dated. It was pretty good, but he leaves the kitchen to me. The pumpkin bread sure is nice though.
I’m finally learning to like the flavor of pumpkin so I think I’m going to have to try this!
Not…like…pumpkin?!
They did tell us there was a reason for all those fractions. I just refused to believe them. And then came the day I needed to double a recipe. Ouch – brain overload.
The pumpkin bread sounds delicious! And don’t you love how men have to ask where everything is? I always tell Mark to try for 5 minutes on his own to actually look for something, and then I’ll help him. I don’t think he appreciates that… 😉
The doubling isn’t so bad. It’s when you want to increase by 2.5! That fried his brain.
If I give you the ingredients will you guys just make it for me? I’m sure that it’ll taste so much better that way!
No, you can totally do it. Seriously, it’s the easiest baking recipe ever.
—Excuse me….I’m running to buy 2 cans of pumkin immediately :)) WOW, this looks YUMMY….
Awesome! Enjoy!
Oy, that math made my head hurt! But I love anything pumpkin. Mmmm…
Haha, no math needed if you just follow the recipe as is!
My husband thanks you from the bottom of his heart for his birthday present! 🙂
Haha, no, you get the thank you! You’re the one doing the baking!
I made 3 loaves of pumpkin bread tonight using a pumpkin from my garden. It was so good.
Your own pumpkin? Wow!
I have never tried pumpkin bread. Maybe i’ll see if i can get the ingredients here in Sweden and try it out! Looks good though.
I have a daguhter that likes to bake at the moment, every time i tell her, “your on your own”, and every time i end up doing pretty much all of it for her…lol
You should definitely try it! I think it’s so funny how pumpkin, which is so common here, is rare in other places!