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The Scranton Public Library has a collection of church and community cookbooks that have been digitized for use on the Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives. Through November and December, a member of the SPL staff will be baking a recipe of their choice each week. These recipes span side dishes, main courses, and deserts. We encourage everyone to explore these cookbooks and try the recipes. Please let us know how they turn out by contacting us through our Facebook or Instagram!

Please note that recipes may reflect community standards of the time when the source cookbook was published.

Through November and December, a member of the SPL staff will be baking a recipe of their choice each week. These recipes span side dishes, main courses, and deserts. Our first recipe is for pumpkin loaf and can be found below.

Pumpkin Loaf

Bethel Baptist Church Cookbook
c. 1940-1950

Ingredients

• 1 c. squeeze liquid margarine [or melted butter]
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 1 – 16 oz. can pumpkin
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. [baking] soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. chopped pecans (opt.) [or chocolate chips]

Instructions

Heat oven to 350[°F].

Combine margarine and sugars.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after every addition.

Blend in pumpkin.

Add combined dry ingredients; mix only until moistened.

Stir in nuts,

Pour 1/2 c. batter into each of 3 greased, 8 oz. tomato sauce cans.

Bake at 350[°F] for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. [Muffin tins can be used instead]

Final Result