Holiday Baking Series - Pumpkin Pineapple Bread

Pumpin Pineapple Bread

2 1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

15 oz can pumpkin

8 1/4 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

4 large eggs

3 1/2 cup flour

2 t baking soda

2 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t saltpowdered sugar (optional)

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 F and light grease 2 loaf pans.
2 Beat together sugar and butter until blended. Add pumpkin, pineapple and eggs; beat well. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.
4. Mix with pumpkin mixture until just blended. Add nuts if desired.
5. Divide evenly between loaf pans and bake 55-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool 5 minutes and remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

YIELD: 16 servings

In the Kitchen - Preserving

This morning I was able to get a little of the canning done that I had hoped to do yesterday.

First I made Brandy-Pecan Sauce. Above are the ingredients. Only thing missing is water.

Toasting the pecans in unsalted butter over low heat until they absorbed all the butter and developed a rich, nutty aroma. Once troasted set pan aside. Then mix the rest of the butter, water and brown sugar in a saucepan and dissolve the sugar well. Then cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spices. Then add the brandy and cook, stirring constantly until reduce to a medium syrup, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the pecans and cook 2 more minutes and remove from heat. Fill jars.

Place in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Finished product. This smelled rich while cooking. I think I may have cooked my syrup too long though. It may be a heat in the microwave before using. Over ice cream? Heart be still!

Next I made Pineapple Upside-Down Topping. The drained heavy syrup from the crushed pineapple and brown sugar brought to boiling after the sugar fully dissolved.. (Note: Try finsing fruit in heavy syrup anymore. I was able to find chuncks of pineapple in heavy syrup. I drained to cans of crushed pineapple to see how much juice there is in the cans. Then I measured that amount of drained heavy syrup from the pineapple chunk cans, and continued. I put the chunks with the pineapple juice in the fridge for another use.)

Simmering for 5 minutes.

Then add the crushed pineapple, bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the rum if using.

Lids in boiling water.

Filling the jars with pineapple topping, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

In the water bath for 10 minutes.

Finsihed product. This was so easy to make and smells heavenly when cooking. Looks beautiful in the jars as well.