Orange Pumpkin Bread
Its early October, the leaves have begun to change and I can see my breath when I run in the morning. Fall has officially arrived.
To celebrate the season, I dragged out an old family recipe given to me by my mother. What goes better with a chilly morning that a hot cup of coffee and Orange Pumpkin Bread?
This recipe belongs to my great-grandmother Gladys. A woman I’ve only known through stories and pictures as a child. She was married to William, my great-grandfather and namesake and lived on a farm where she and my great-grandfather raised horses and cattle.
Earlier this year, my mom gave be two boxes of family recipes from my great-aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. As I’ve been working through the recipes, I’ve thought about who these women were, what they were like and what they would think of me. Of these three ladies, I only met my great-aunt Ruth. My great-grandmother passed long before I was born and my grandmother passed away from cancer at 49 (one more reason why I quit smoking). All the same, I’ve known these women through stories told to me by my mother, uncle and their family friends. Despite not meeting them, cooking their food is giving me a connection to a life I didn’t know and gives me a comfort I struggle to articulate.
Orange Pumpkin Bread
makes two loaves
Ingredients
2/3 C Crisco
2 2/3 C granulated sugar
1 orange
2/3 C water
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
3 1/3 C all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
2/3 C chopped pecans
2/3 C raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 9x5x3 loaf pans.
In a stand mixer, cream shortening and sugar thoroughly
Cut the orange into wedges and carefully remove any seeds, then toss it into a blender or food processor with the water and puree until smooth.
Add the orange mixture to the creamed sugar and shortening along with the pumpkin and eggs.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a separate bowl and carefully add to the pumpkin mixture in batches. Fold in the pecans and raisins.
Pour the mixture into the loaf pans and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
