The first time I made this recipe, it came out delicious, but the whole grain flour made it a touch too dry for my taste.  So I have modified it a bit since the last batch – and I must say, the modifications have produced moist and delicious bread.  The key differences are the mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour, the addition of oil, a higher amount of pumpkin and raisins.


Pumpkin Preparation:

I don’t believe in using pumpkin from a can.  Fresh pumpkins burst with flavor and natural sugar.  The canned stuff just pales in comparison.  Your choice of pumpkin is very important.  Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not the best for eating.  Sugar pumpkins (otherwise known as Pie pumpkins) can be good, but personally, I prefer either cheese pumpkins (they look like a normal pumpkin, but squashed down and tan instead of orange) or Kabuka pumpkins (these are green on the outside and shaped like a Japanese lantern.

• Take the pumpkin and cut it unto quarters, then scoop out the seeds and put them meat-side up in a roasting pan
• Sprinkle with canola oil, salt, ground pepper, and drizzle with honey
• Bake them at 425 until they are tender and just starting to become golden brown on the edges.
• Let them rest until cool enough to handle, then peel the skin off the pumpkins and put the meat into the blender and puree it until very smooth. 
• Now take a ½ sheet pan or a baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Spread the puree out evenly onto the sheet pan and top with paper towels (at least two layers).
• Put the tray (covered with the paper towels) into a warm – but not hot – oven for about 30 minutes.
• Remove the tray and throw away the paper towels.  Your puree is ready to use.
  

The reason for spreading the puree onto the paper towels and warming them is because canned pumpkin is much drier than fresh pumpkin, so all the recipes out there are based on moisture content from the canned stuff.  In order to get the correct consistency in your finished baked goods, you have to remove some of the excess fluids from the fresh pumpkin.

Raisins:

About the time you put your pumpkin into the oven to roast, you should take you ¾ cup of raisins and begin soaking them in just enough rum to cover and cover the container with plastic wrap.  Set them aside on your counter.  I like to use dark spicy rum for this purpose.

Making the Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
•    1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
•    ¾ cup all purpose flour
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    ½ teaspoon baking powder
•    ½ teaspoon salt
•    ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•    ½ teaspoon ground cloves
•    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
•    ½ cup (1 stick/4 ounces) butter
•    1 cup light brown sugar
•    3 large eggs
•    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•    12 ounces pumpkin puree
•    ¼ cup hazelnut oil(or any vegetable oil other than olive)
•    1 cup raisins, soaked in rum

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients (both flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices) together
• In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about five minutes
• Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, when they are fully combined, then add the vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and the raisins.
• Stop the mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not over mix).
• Pour the batter out into four greased 4-inch loaf pans (or 2 8-inch loaf pans).
•  Bake at 375 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.