As Barnaby and I walked to the bus this morning we noticed all the mushy pumpkins that remain on doorsteps in our neighborhood. The once beautifully carved jack o’ lanterns are quickly becoming  pumpkin puree, especially with the aid of the recent rain. I have to admit, all that soft pumpkin flesh makes me want to bake something! Gross, I know, to be inspired by the soggy, rotting pulp of Halloween pumpkins, but sometimes I just cannot help what inspires me culinarily. And, honestly, I caught a whiff of one that actually still smelled quite pleasant. By no means should this be taken as encouragement to scrape the pumpkin off your neighbor’s stoop to make pumpkin bread. Just go and buy some canned puree.

Pumpkin Bread

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

1 cup crushed walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and nuts if you are using them. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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