Great-Grandma Bryan's Pumpkin Bread

Mom had this recipe in her "green box" and I got a copy when I left home to go to college in 1990. The "green box" is the recipe box where Mom keeps what I have always referred to as her 'man-catcher' recipes. These are the recipes that Daddy has rated as an 8.5 or better on a 10 point scale (10 being so mind numbly tasty that it's practically addictive). I never knew the story behind it until my grandmother (paternal) asked where I had gotten her mother's Pumpkin Bread recipe.

Evidently, Mom became Great-Grandma Bryan's pen pal right around the time that Daddy popped the question. During the course of their correspondence, they swapped a bunch of recipes, including this Pumpkin Bread recipe. My grandmother had always thought that her mother kept this recipe as one of her 'trade secrets' and was irked that Great-Grandma had shared it with Mom, especially since Grandmother herself did not have a copy. Evidently Grandmother's disappointment was quite tangible, so Mom checked with Great-Grandma to make sure it was OK with her to share the recipe. Great-Grandma assured Mom that it was (evidently she did not have any 'secret' recipes). However, Grandmother was still irked about the whole thing, even years later, when she happened to be reminded of it.

Anyway, as it is one of my husband's favorites, I thought I would share. I realize that posting this recipe like this might have rankled Grandmother (God, rest her), but I don't have any 'secret' recipes either. I am hoping that my cousins (who read my blog on occasion) will take the opportunity to print a copy for themselves. Thus, it will have been 'handed down' to them as well.


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Great-Grandma Bryan's Pumpkin Bread


⅔ cup Shortening (I use Butter)
2 ⅔ cup Sugar
4 Eggs
16 oz Pumpkin Puree’ (1 can)
⅔ cup Water
3 ⅓ cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Cloves, ground
⅔ cup Nuts (I use Chopped Walnuts)
⅔ cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix ingredients. Grease two loaf pans and split the batter between them. Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until done.