Walking through the grocery store after Thanksgiving, I saw these adorable Christmas loaf pans. They were a lovely off-white color and made of ceramic. They had a pretty glaze and a beautiful picture on both sides. They had all different kinds and they were on sale for 49 cents! Can’t beat that; I couldn’t even buy aluminum tins for that price! In the carriage, or carts as they call them in the south, they went! I instantly knew which recipe and post would be on the website! This is my best Pumpkin Read recipe and it is just amazing. The Spice Glaze is incredible and the addition of orange peel and candied ginger makes it the perfect gift for anyone! Pumpkin lovers beware: you can’t eat just one piece! Believe me, I know!

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup olive, canola or walnut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 oz. candied ginger
Zest of one orange
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup or so pumpkin seeds for top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Add walnuts and candied ginger to your dry ingredients and coat well. Coating the nuts and candied ginger with the dry ingredients will keep them suspended in the loaf. Now you will not find any nuts or ginger on the bottom of your bread! Set aside while you mix the wet ingredients.

Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, spices and orange zest together.

Add dry ingredients to your wet and mix just until combined.

Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack. You can also make in smaller bread snap for Christmas gifts shown in the picture) but of course check them after 20 minutes. They will cook quickly. Insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean it’s ready to be taken out of the oven.

Recipe makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.

Spice Glaze

1 c. powdered (confectioners’ sugar)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsp. orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix together add more orange juice if still dry. You are looking for a drizzling consistency. Remember you can always add, but you can’t take away, so add just a bit more juice at a time.

Let bread stand for a couple of minuets adn then drizzle thsi amazing glaze over top. It looks so pretty once set particularly with the pumpkin bread with the pumpkin seeds.