Pumpkin Bread with Toasted Pecans

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 15 oz./1 can pumpkin (not pie-filling)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup STAR Extra Light Olive Oil, plus more for greasing the pans
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°. Spread the pecans across the surface of a sheet pan with sides and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until they are fragrant and have darkened in color. Once done, cool and then chop them and reserve a few whole pecans for the top of the loaves. Leave the oven on at 350° and grease two, 9”x5” loaf pans with olive oil.
2. Into a medium size bowl sift or shake through a large sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the pumpkin, applesauce, and vanilla mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed pour in the Olive Oil and mix until combined. Add both sugars and mix until there are no visible lumps, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Then add the eggs one at a time, combining thoroughly after adding each egg. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix on low, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Do not over-mix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the pecans.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Press the reserved pecans into the top of the batter on each loaf. Bake for 50-55 minutes. When done, a cake tester will come out cleanly and the bread will have pulled away from the sides of the pan and be a tawny golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Release the bread from the pan, by running a kitchen knife around the edge of the bread. Then invert the bread onto a cooling rack or breadboard to finish cooling.
5. When the bread has cooled slice each loaf into ten slices, serve, and enjoy!

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