Homemade Pumpkin Bread

This easy, delicious bread has been a favorite in my household for many years.  It is a recipe from Wilson Farms in Lexington, Massachusetts.  This bread can be a welcome gift, a family treat, or an interesting addition to your bread basket at dinner.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup butter or margarine softened
• 1 1/3  cups sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup cooked, mashed pumpkin or winter squash
• 1/4  cup water
• 1 2/3  cups flour
• 1/4  tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4  tsp. salt
• 3/4  tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2  tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2  tsp. cloves
• 1/2  cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2  cup seedless raisins (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs with an electric mixer.
4. Beat in the pumpkin and water until smooth.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves together.
6. Beat the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
7. Stir in the walnuts and raisins into the batter.
8. Place mixture  in the prepared pan and bake for approximately one hour.