HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: The fall season is here, and there is nothing I love more than this time of year, when all the leaves change color. It puts me in a baking mood.

We have a street party in October every year, and this year, I want to bake about five loaves of your pumpkin bread to take to the street party. Sadly, I’ve lost the recipe. Would you reprint the recipe? — Lorie B., Independence, Mo.

DEAR READER: Just a warning: Once you bake this for your family and friends, they’ll want it again and again.

Heloise’s Pumpkin Bread 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped pecans

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together. Add nuts and mix well. Set aside. Combine eggs, oil and pumpkin and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend. Pour into a 9-by-5-by-3 greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes.

DEAR HELOISE: A fair number of my friends are big on these health bars for energy, and yet not one has ever read the label. Most are filled with salt, fat, sugar of some kind and preservatives. That’s not my idea of healthy.

Yes, some are low in sugar while some are low in fat, but the majority are just candy bars. If you want an energy boost, try a banana, Greek yogurt or even a handful of walnuts, almonds or pecans. Less fat, less sugar and much healthier for you.

— Meghan E., Sun Valley, Nev.

DEAR HELOISE: For people like me, the coming holidays mean one important thing: cookies. I love to bake, and I know several others who enjoy it, too. So, when the holidays are approaching, we get together and exchange recipes, but the real fun is taking cookies that were produced from said recipe. The cookies are laid out on a long table with a note card stating the name of that cookie and several photocopies of the recipe under the plate. We all have coffee and discuss the cookies we made and why we chose them to bake. It’s really fun, and I have a lot of great recipes to use for holiday parties.

—