You will need:
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 cups oil
1 lg (29oz) can of pumpkin
5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
a few hefty pinches of salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp allspice OR 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp grated nutmeg, and 2 tsp ground cloves OR go nuts with whatever spice combo you like best
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your loaf pans/muffin tins/cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs just enough to break them up. Mix in the sugars, oil, and pumpkin. When these are thoroughly combined, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices, and stir just until everything is combined -- it's okay if small lumps remain. (Don't overmix or you'll be working the gluten in the flour and the bread may end up gummy and tough.)
Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean: muffins and small loaves will take about 30-40 minutes, larger loaves 50-60 minutes or more. (One loaf I baked in a large Pyrex loaf pan took about an hour and ten minutes.) When the bread is done, remove it to a rack to cool. Be patient and give it a few minutes to cool before slicing. (This is always the hardest part for me.)
Thanks to my mom, Clare, for the recipe!
