Mixing Seasons....Is It Okay?

     Am I the only one that is bothered by the fact that Valentines Day decorations are starting to pop up in stores? We haven't even had Halloween, Thanksgiving OR Christmas!
I like to enjoy each holiday as long as I can, but I do have a confession about my newest recipe...I combined fall with a tad bit of Christmas in this amazing Pumpkin Gingerbread! I am in no way trying to put up my Christmas wreath or Santa Claus decor but I couldn't resist this recipe! Even my 22 year old brother asked for more!
I made this bread into mini loaves so I could share with more people. Reduced cooking time is listed on recipe.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) all purpose flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée**
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, or 112 g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) molasses (I ran out of molasses and switched to maple syrup!)
• 1 Tbsp finely minced candied or fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to the pan. (or 4 mini loaf pans)

2 In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3 In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin purée, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.

4 Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the raisins if using. Stir only until incorporated.

5 Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes or longer.

**If doing mini loafs, bake for 30-40 minutes. Check at 30 and increase by 5 minutes as needed.