1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peachy Cream Cheese Spread (see below)
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition, just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Stir chopped pecans and vanilla into batter. Spoon into a greased 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loafpan.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack. Slice and serve with Peachy Cream Cheese Spread. Makes 1 loaf.
PEACHY CREAM CHEESE SPREAD:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup peach preserves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Beat all ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Makes 1 1/3 cups.