Shane and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary with an autumn weekend in Wisconsin. Along with the pumpkins, colorful leaves, fresh apple cider and antiques, I picked up this tasty recipe for pumpkin banana bread in our hotel’s copy of Midwest Living magazine.

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup water
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (1 large)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans, set aside. In a very large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Alternatively add flour mixture and the water to sugar mixture, beating after each addition just until combined.

Beat in pumpkin and banana. Stir in pecans.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. I used a loaf pan and a muffin top pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven, 20-30 minutes for the muffin tops and 50 to 60 minutes for the loaf, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing, if you like. Makes 2 loaves (32 slices) or one loaf and muffin tops.

Wisconsin this time of year is classic fall. On the way home we stopped at a pumpkin patch where we picked pumpkins, bought kettle corn, and drank hot apple cider. And of course, stopped by Mars Cheese Castle to stock up on our favorite aged cheddar.

Comments (4)  | Permalink  | By Kathy on 11/13/2008