RECIPE: Really good pumpkin bread.
I know. We’re taking a little break over here and not posting as often. But I can’t leave you without sharing really good pumpkin bread. You know how much I love pumpkin! (Like you haven’t had enough of my pumpkin recipes? The pancakes, curry and garlic knots?)
But I digress. It’s another recipe from my Cooks Illustrated mag. No, I didn’t have a baking breakdown this time.
But I did alter a few things. “What, the Cooks Illustrated test kitchen hasn’t tested and altered it enough for you?” a friend said, when I told him I’d changed some things. But hello? It’s still good. Alterations: adding ginger. No crumb topping—too much butter and sugar. And add chocolate chips. Why? Orange and black theme, people.
Don’t we love that the bread is mixed in a pan? A first for me!
It was a nod to the SF Giants in the playoffs right now. But apparently my rally socks didn’t work with the first game loss. I took them off for the second game. You guessed it: they won.
Still: cooking orange and black in honor of the team? Home run.
It’s crazy, really, to reflect on writing for this blog. You’ve endured over 80 recipes from me so far. Some certainly better than others. All amateur. But fun to share. (I think my fave is the bok choy wontons!) And I’ve learned a few things along the way:
- Pans: Can leak. Nearly causing fires.
- The challenge of cooking by theme? Can turn out ok in the end.
- Sometimes all that effort is worth it.
- And when people have been drinking? It’s the best time to serve them food.
- Or drink yourself.
- Because good food—made with love—is perfect for celebration. Or sorrow. Or the everyday. Or on the river. And trail.
- And always with good company.
And HUGE thanks our readers and to the Wine and a Spoon team for the inspiration (and endless amusement).
RECIPE RATING: 5 of 5 glasses of wine with your pumpkin bread. Enjoy. (And GO GIANTS.)
| Really good pumpkin bread |
|
- 2 cups white flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 (15oz) can of organic unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
- 4 oz (1/2 traditional package) low fat cream cheese – room temperature and cut into small cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 C buttermilk
- 1 C unsweetened chocolate chips
- OPTIONAL: Confectioners sugar for topping
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 2 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans.
- Whisk flour baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.
- In a large skillet, mix the pumpkin puree, spices (salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) over medium heat. Cook mixture until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly.)
- Remove from heat and stir in sugar, brown sugar, oil and cream cheese until combined.
- Let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk mixture until cream cheese is incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add to pumpkin.
- Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter, evenly, into prepared pans.
- Bake until toothpick comes out clean, when inserted in the middle of the loaf. About 40-55 minutes.
- Let cool in bread pans for 20 minutes, on a wire rack. Remove bread from pans and let them cool for 1 1/2 hours. Top with powdered sugar if you’d like. And enjoy!
