Purfect Pumpkin Bread

Found the base for this Pumpkin Bread Recipe in an old Southern Living Cookbook. My 'Mom's Banana Bread' Recipe has a little 'secret' tip to making it so great - (seperating the eggs and beating the whites...). So, I put 2 and 2 together, and oila! Also, I like the rich spiciness that should accompany pumpkin dishes - thus I added the chinese 5 spice, makes it that much better! This is a great Fall / Holiday Bread -- I think you'll agree.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 2 Loaves

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup  vegetable oil
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 4  eggs, separated
• 2  cups pumpkin, canned
• 1⁄3 cup milk
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 3 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1  teaspoon flax seed
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2⁄3 cup pecans (optional) or 2⁄3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 2⁄3 cup dried cranberries (optional) or 2⁄3 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

1. *Cream together oil & sugars at medium speed with an electric hand mixer.
2. *Add egg yolks - one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. *Stir in canned pumpkin, water, & milk.
4. *Combine flour & the next 5 ingredients in a separate mixing bowl, and add to the creamed mixture, a little at a time – mixing well.
5. *Add in Vanilla and the flax seed, - blend.
6. *Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with hand mixer until stiff, (make sure to use clean beaters), whites will form meringue peaks.
7. *Next, gently stir in dried raisins or cranberries, and nuts into the batter.
8. *Fold the meringue gently into the pumpkin bread batter.
9. *Spoon batter into greased & floured loaf pans.
10. *Bake at 350° for 1 hour, or until a toothpick when inserted in the center of the loaves, comes out clean.
11. *Cool loaves on wire racks.