Recipe of a Week: Mrs. Marlowe's Pure Happiness Pumpkin Bread

Go Lumberjacks! 

In 1998, your humble host stepped onto the NAU Campus for his freshman year in college. A new life was beginning - a new education, a new direction in life, new friends, and new experiences. Among the new friends that would enter, and happily remain to this day in, my life was Mr. Marlowe.

One autumn Sunday, he and the future Mrs. Marlowe introduced me to one amazingly kick-ass carciofi dip whilst preparing for some NFL action, which became The Danger Zone's first guest recipe of a week. Well, my friends, Mrs. Marlowe is back, with her second featured Recipe of A Week, and it's as good as ever!



With autumn once again in high gear, and the pumpkins abounding, we continue our theme of orange orb recipes with this amazing pumpkin bread recipe, complete with cream cheese frosting to earn that ever-so-special "ultra decadent" label.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 5 X 7 loaf pans with butter.
You can also divide batter among 4 mini loaf pans and cut baking time to about 45 minutes.

3 eggs
1 -1 lb can pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine eggs, pumpkin, oil and water in a small mixing bowl. In a larger bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Divide batter into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

4 oz. pumpkin or plain cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 box confectioners' sugar
chopped pecans to sprinkle


Cream together ingredients for icing.
Frost tops of loaves and sprinkle with pecans.


Changes which I made to this recipe were that I used a fresh pumpkin (a small one will do), and de-seeded it, and then baked it in the oven for about 30 mins to soften the flesh. Then I used the baked pumpkin as the normal can of pumpkin in the recipe. I also didn't have any pecans on hand, so I used Brazil nuts, which worked amazingly, especially as they are a bit fattier and gave it a nice texture.

Let this recipe stand as NAU's rightful claim to its affectionate nickname "the Harvard of the West", and as one of its richest alumnus contributions to society. Thank you, Mrs. Marlowe!

*Photo copyright Mrs. Marlowe