Holiday Spice Pumpkin Bread

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick) softened

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) can 100% pureed pumpkin

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1.       Grease bottoms only of two 8x4-inch loaf pans.

2.       In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter.  Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition.  Add pureed pumpkin, milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.  Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until very smooth.

3.       Mix in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened.  Pour into pans.

4.       Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Loosen sides of loaves from pans, and carefully remove, transferring to a wire rack.  Cool for about 1 hour, before slicing.

**For muffins, pour into muffin tins lined with cupcake papers.  Fill each cup ¾ with batter.   Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove and let cool to desired temperature.