I’m about to make a controversial claim:

This is the only pumpkin recipe you will ever need. Seriously. Delete your “pumpkin oatmeal” bookmarks, unfold those cookbook pages and clear your desk of all those printed pages. Because, I repeat, this is the only pumpkin recipe you will ever need. And would I make a claim like that if I didn’t really believe it?!

Exactly. I came across this recipe online when I was 14 or 15, and have been using it ever since. (So no, it’s not my own creation, though I wish it was!) It has a perfect, sweet, buttery pumpkin taste and a moist, soft, slightly chewy texture. It’s amazing, delicious, foodgasmic…

You know what? Just make it. Descriptive adjectives and sexual innuendos can only go so far.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

From allrecipes.com

Prep time: 10 min, total time: 50 min, makes two 9×5 loaves

Ingredients:

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

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease two 9×5 loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, cream pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and ground spices. Add dry mixture to wet and beat until all flour has been combined. Do not overmix. Pour into prepared pans.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

This obviously isn’t a healthy bread, but it’s one of those foods that tastes so good you don’t care, anyway. Everything comes together perfectly, so you can taste the spices and the pumpkin, as well as a rich flavor from the oil.

Have I sold you on it yet?

Are there any recipes that you make year after year after year? For whatever reason I forgot to make this last year…not sure why. The horror!