Recipe: Pumpkin Bread (with dates and nuts, Fannie Farmer Baking Book, 1980's)

PUMPKIN BREAD

3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups mashed or pureed pumpkin
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans.

Combine the flour, baking soda,, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and stir or toss them together with a fork or a whisk.

In a large bowl combine the shortening, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, milk, dates and walnuts. Add the combined dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a large mixing fork or mixing spoon just until the batter is blended, the flour should be incorporated so there are no lumps, but there will be small bits of shortening that will disappear in baking.

Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake for about 1 hour, or until a broom straw or skewer inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean. Remove the loaves from the oven, and cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

Makes two (9x5-inch) loaves
Source: The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham, 1984