The season's first batch of pumpkin bread...

...just came out of the oven and we are both (all - since there are two loaves) currently cooling our heels, waiting for G to come home so we can sample the yummyness together. After a dinner of crock pot chicken noodle soup, that is. Very cozy for a chilly fall day!

I'm not sure how the end result will taste - will keep you posted - but here's the recipe I came up with and used for this batch, after much online research:

Pumpkin Bread  (makes two 8" loaves)

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 C white sugar
1 C dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 (15oz) can solid pack pumpkin
1/8 C (approx) unsweetened applesauce

Sugar & Spice Blend
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 Tbsp white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine sugar & spice blend ingredients. Butter two 8" loaf pans, then sprinkle sugar & spice blend evenly on bottom and sides, about 1 Tbsp each pan.
3. Cream butter and sugars together, then add eggs one at a time while mixing. Add vanilla extract and mix in.
4. Combine all dry ingredients together, then gently stir into butter mixture until just combined.
5. Stir in canned pumpkin and applesauce.
6. Distribute batter evenly between prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle sugar & spice mixture on top.
7. Bake approximately 50 min to 1 hr, until cake tests done.

*Note:* I added about 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to half the batter for one of the loaves.

*ETA:* Not too bad a first attempt... Got the sweetness/sugar amount right, but could bump up the spices a bit.