My oh my pumpkin pie, I think banana bread should move over.  With pumpkin pie inspired flavours and more pumpkin than Cinderella ever imagined, this baked yumminess is the unassuming star.  Sweet yet spicy, soft but with some bite and yes, it’s good for you too!

Spiced pumpkin and pecan bread

Serves (about 12 slices)

Ingredients

2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

¾ cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped (you may like to leave some whole for decorating)

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

3 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup sunflower or canola oil

2 cups pureed boiled pumpkin (about 500-600 grams peeled pumpkin)

Canola spray oil

Steps

• Preheat oven to 160°C
• Boil peeled pumpkin until cooked then puree with a hand blender
• Mix flour, pecans, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and spices in a large bowl
• Lightly whisk eggs in a smaller separate bowl and mix in oil
• Stir egg mixture and COOLED pumpkin puree (otherwise you’ll have scrambled eggs!) into the flour mixture until combined
• Line loaf tin (I used a 22x11x7cm size) with greased baking paper
• Pour mixture into loaf tin
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean

Per Serve

994 kJ, protein 5.6 g, total fat 11.7 g, sat fat 1.1 g, carbs 25 g (sugars 9.7 g)