Pumpkin Bread

This is approved by all of us! I found this recipe back in the days of watching the morning shows while I nursed Nathan. It was a morning routine for me and I found several recipes but this one is my alltime favorite from the routine.

It is similar to the Great Harvest Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread but we like this one better. It costs less and is a bigger loaf! The original recipe calls for nuts which we love but I have also made it with chocolate chips, which the kids love but LeRoy and I don't necessarily.

Mix together:
2 cups Pumpkin Pie Mix *

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

* The Pie mix only comes in the large cans so either double the recipe to make 2 loaves or use the rest of the pumpkin for pancakes. You can also use the regular pumpkin which doesn't have the extra flavoring but it still tastes good.

In another bowl mix together and then add to pumpkin:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix just until moist then fold in 1 cup of one of the following:

walnuts or pecans

cranberries

chocolate chips

This will be a thick mixture - not like a cake. Pour into a 9" loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan spray. Bake 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to go along the edges of the pan before dumping the bread out of it.