WHOLESOME HOLIDAY BREADS

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By Erica Rowe

You can "sweeten" the festive season — naturally — by baking one (or all!) of these...

My family is trying faithfully to make the switch to a diet of natural, unrefined foods . . . but — in spite of our good intentions — it's all too easy to want to backslide during the holiday season. It seems that temptation is especially strong at this time of year, because many of our memories of past Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations center on food: delectable mincemeat pies ... warm, oven-fresh gingerbread men . . . sweet fruitcakes . . . and peppermint candy canes hidden in stockings. The holidays just aren't quite complete without some traditional goodies, and we're apt to feel a bit cheated if we don't enjoy at least one sugary morsel.

So, to ease my family's "withdrawal" pains (which are particularly hard on the children), I invented several natural , sugarfree holiday treats. Since the delicious bread recipes printed here contain only nutritious whole grains and natural sweeteners, merrymakers can enjoy them with a clear conscience. What's more, my two-bowl mixing method is so easy that you can get the whole gang involved in the culinary process . . . and that sort of group activity is a real "holiday helper" in itself, since half the fun of the festive time of year is the special spirit that results from doing things as a family.

PUMPKIN BREAD

This sweet bread will be only as flavorful as the fruit you use to prepare it . . . so find a small pie pumpkin that's been field ripened and has thick, dark flesh. Wash and dry the outside, then cleave it in half and carefully scoop out the seeds. Place both halves (cut sides down) on a cookie sheet, and bake them at 350°F for about an hour . . . or until the meat is very soft (you can test it with a fork) and the rind is somewhat browned. After the pieces cool, scrape the pulp from the shells with a spoon and purée it in a blender (or put it through a food mill). Now the pumpkin is ready to be used in my "pet" recipe.

To begin, grease a standard (3-1/2" X 5" X 9") loaf pan with cold-pressed safflower oil, and dust it tightly with whole wheat flour. Then — in the first mixing bowl — blend 1 egg with 1 cup of maple syrup and 1/2 cup of safflower oil . . . add 1 cup of the cooked, puréed pumpkin . . . and beat the ingredients well.

Using a second — larger — container, mix 2 cups of whole wheat flour (don't sift it, or you'll lose the bran), 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon each of cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder. Stir the contents of the first bowl into the dry ingredients in the second, and then add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2/3 cup each of raisins and chopped nuts. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake it at 350°F for 45 minutes ... then turn the oven down to 300°F for another 45 minutes. Cool the bread in the tin before removing and slicing it.