Pumpkin Bread in July.....sure why not!

So it's been a while since I've posted here.........anyone still out there?

I know I've been slacking for the last few years and I wouldn't blame anyone for not sticking around.  Life seems to be flying by and I'm not sure where all the time went.  Can someone enlighten me?  Well hopefully it won't be years in between posts but no promises!

Anywaysssssssss I came to the realization that I really like being able to come back to my blog and find recipes that I've made and really liked. I made a fabulous strawberry rhubarb tart with an amazing crumb topping last year but I couldn't find the recipe or even remember where I had gotten it from.  Now I want to make it this year and I'm like crap!  Don't you hate when that happens?  You find a great recipe and then when you want to make it again you can't find any sign of what you had done.

So in my search for the elusive recipe I saw a can of pumpkin in my cupboard and decided to drown my sorrows, I needed some pumpkin bread!  Makes sense right?  Well it did to me and I think I made the right choice.  BEST pumpkin bread EVER!  Lightly sweetened with a nice crunchy topping. What's not to like?

I tweeked the recipe slightly because that's what I do.  I made it slightly healthier and a little less sweet.  Don't get me wrong I love sweets but I generally try to reduce the sugar in all recipes I make.  Less sugar and healthier means that I can eat more right?  Well that's what I tell myself.

Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from The Charm of Home
Yields 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
2 generous cup canned pumpkin
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
3 T flax meal (Optional)

1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease 2 8x 5-inch loaf pan. 

 

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

 

Beat sugar with oil and apple sauce until blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Continue beating until light and fluffy.  Then mix in pumpkin on low speed.  Add in dry ingredients on low speed and mix well.  Pour into prepared pan. 

 

For streusel topping mix till crumb texture with a pastry cutter.  Then spread topping over entire loaf. 

 

Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling.

 

Enjoy!