I made some pumpkin bread for my new neighbors-- one of them with a questionable gender-- to welcome them to the house, have a leg-up on karma, and basically let them know that we're cool and all. It's something I hadn't done with the other tenants in our 4-plex, and I'm tired of ducking behind the curtains any time one of them walks by. We wrote a little note that said something like "welcome to the house. here's some pumpkin bread - best with butter." Even though it's super cheezy idea altogether, they loved it and thanked us twice for the zucchini bread. Despite the fact that they can't read, I feel a little better about our awkward coexistence.
Recipe yields two loaves:
3 c. flour, sifted
1 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. soda
2 c. pumpkin (or 1 can)
1 c. oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. water
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1 each of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.)
1 c. walnuts (optional)
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl forming a well in the middle. Then stir in eggs, water, oil, then pumpkin. Divide batter between two greased/floured bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
Though I used the can this time, it's only about an extra three hours in prep time if you want to carve the pumpkins, toast the seeds, and use baked pumpkin meat instead of the can. Toss the cleaned seeds with seasoned salt, garlic powder, tabasco, and worcestershire sauce and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Something like that.
