Nothing inspires me to get back to baking like autumn weather. No question about it — I’m hard-wired to want to get into the kitchen and start stirring things up as soon as the calendar turns to September. As the heat of summer wanes, baking is a delight.

And nothing is more inviting for the after-school crowd than tempting aromas from the kitchen. This sweet ’n’ spicy Harvest Pumpkin Apple Bread is just about impossible to resist, with its sweet apple and spicy cinnamon flavors wrapped up in the season’s first pumpkin dessert.

Fall baking is also fun to share:

• Give your kids the love of baking by choosing easy recipes like this one to start learning baking basics.
• Spending time together in the kitchen can cement relationships. Have the kids invite a friend or two for after-school or Saturday morning baking.
• Draft a group of kids to get together and bake — at home or maybe in the church kitchen.
• Sharing the bounty of your baking is what it’s all about. This sweet quick bread recipe makes two loaves — so take one to the neighbors.
• Have the kids practice baking a favorite goodie until it’s perfect, then make some to take to a fund-raising bake sale, to a favorite teacher or to a club meeting.
• Take goodies like this bread or other treats to a local shelter.

Find more ideas for creating warm and inviting aromas from your kitchen at www.VeryBestBaking.com!

HARVEST PUMPKIN APPLE BREAD
(Makes 2 loaves; 12 servings per loaf)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple juice or water
1 large baking apple, peeled, cored and diced

PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and apple juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.
BAKE 65 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove loaves to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 260 calories; 90 calories from fat; 10g total fat; 1.5g saturated fat; 35mg cholesterol; 260mg sodium; 40g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 27g sugars; 3g protein