Breads:

Pumpkin Cider Bread

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Locally produced apple cider and local pumpkins are best in this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pressed apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon mulling spices
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, combine the apple cider, cinnamon stick and mulling spices. Boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool.

In a bowl whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, brown sugar, orange zest and the cooled reduced cider. Into a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, mace, cinnamon and ground cloves. Add the chopped walnuts and stir the batter until it is just combined.

Transfer batter to a well-buttered 8-1/2x4-1/2-inch loaf pan. Bake the bread on the middle rack of the oven for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan.

Mary Kastor, Rock Island