I share a yummy formula with you

Every year at Halloween I make a bunch of pumpkin bread to give away as treats for the families who come to our Day of the Dead Open House.

I've been experimenting with various recipes over the last couple of weeks, taking the results to playdates so I can get opinions from the other parents.  One of the moms down the street had told me she's a pumpkin bread expert, so I've been leaning on her for advice.

She gave this recipe the thumbs up, citing the moist texture, brightness of seasoning and forward pumpkin flavor. Well, not in those words.  What she said was 'Mmmm!  Good!  I like how moist it is.'

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

Cream together:
1 cup oil
3 cups sugar

Beat in 4 eggs

Add a 15 ounce  can of pumpkin, stir until well combined

In a separate bowl combine:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, alternating with:

2/3 cup milk

I like to turn the mixer up high for a few seconds once the batter is completed because I like the sound the beaters make, but not for any real culinary reason.  It may actually be detrimental but I still enjoy making the machine make a big noise and yelling "whoo hoo!".

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 45-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  I like to use an uncooked strand of spaghetti to test baked goods, it's long enough to reach the center of loaves and bundts and you don't need to buy a special tool.

Yum yum yum!

Amanda's beauty tip of the day:  Don't pick at your face.  I'm horrible at following this advice, making my face an excellent example of why you shouldn't pick at your face.