Pumpkin Bread Recipes: The holidays are such a joyous time of year. Many people find themselves spending hours baking. I'd like to share a few of my favorite pumpkin bread recipes with you. These also make great gifts. Just wrap them up in a holiday color plastic wrap, tie a ribbon and bow around the bread for a perfect gift.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups of white flour
2 cups of sugar + 2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup of softened margarine or butter
1 - 12 ounce can of pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 cup of water
4 large eggs
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size mixing bowl mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the margarine/butter and the sugar until creamy. Add one egg at a time and mix until it is blended in. Mix in the water and pumpkin beat well. Add the flour mixture from the medium size bowl mix well. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly spread out throughout the mixture. Spread evenly in two loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for an hour before serving. Makes 2 loafs

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups of white flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slightly grease the loaf pan with cooking oil or margarine. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar cinnamon and ginger. Mix well. Stir in the oil, eggs, pumpkin and cranberries. Pour the batter in the loaf pan and shake the pan gently to even out the batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until an interested toothpick comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf. You can also make this loaf of bread with dried cherries, oranges or a combination of all three.

Traditional Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups white flour
16 ounce can of pumpkin mix
3 eggs
1 + 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1 stick softened butter or margarine
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl beat the eggs using a wire whisk, add the brown sugar, pumpkin, margarine/butter and mix until creamy. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the creamy mixture slowly stirring as you add it. Pour the batter into the bread pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

You can add any variety of nuts or fruits such as; pecans, cashews, raisins, or even cranberries, raspberries, and blueberries to the mixture. Just be sure to crush the nuts before you stir them in. There is nothing like the aroma of pumpkin bread waffling throughout the house on a cold winter night to bring out a little holiday spirit in everyone.