Pumpkin Bread

With Thanksgiving approaching, doesn't pumpkin bread sounds good? This recipe, adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen, has a lovely flavor... much better than so many mixes, which have strong clove and allspice overtones. You'll get 2 large loaves, or quite a few minis, perfect for gift-giving. You could also use this for a trifle, alternating layers with whipped cream, vanilla pudding and pumpkin butter, drizzling a little caramel sauce over the top, as suggested in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients; fold into dry. Add nuts, if desired.

Bake in two loaf pans for approximately 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. For muffins or mini-loaves, begin checking after 20 minutes.