From My Holiday Table to Yours: #SpicyChat Pumpkin Bread!

It’s that time of the year friends, you know the holidays are around the corner when your grocery store starts stacking up on canned pumpkin purée and spices. Whether it’s pie, bread, cheesecake, or souffle’s, pumpkin is the classic and timeless icon of fall flavors and holidays.

 

Be it breakfast, brunch, dinner, or dessert, each week #spicychat will share recipes which have become are a MUST on our holiday table. These are tried, tested, re-invented, and loved by all. I am officially commencing 2012 #SpicyChat Holiday Series with ‘Pumpkin’. Start your morning with this spicy, delicious treat. This spiced pumpkin bread includes all the ingredients we think of at holiday time – pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and nuts. The aromas of the fall spices floating in the air will surely get  your kids out of bed in no time!!

Pumpkin Bread with Candied Ginger and Walnuts

With pumpkin season in full season, swap out your standard banana bread for this moist spiced pumpkin bread. It has all the flavors of fall and some more. It is the perfect cure for a chilly winter morning.

I aim to use freshly roasted pumpkins for my baked goods as for me, there is no comparison between using fresh pumpkins vs. a can. I know it is more convenient to grab a can, but the flavor and texture are incontestably poles apart.  Just roast the pumpkin right before you start your baking, after all you are going to preheat the oven, why not multitask?

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur self rising flour
• 1/2  tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup candied ginger, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped orange zest
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Note: You can use all purpose flour, just add 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Directions:

1. Cut a small pumpkin into thick slices. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Peel, removed the seeds and purée the pumpkin. You should have around 1 to 1.5 cups pumpkin.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and all the spices.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, sugars, and orange zest on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, orange extract, candied ginger, and pumpkin purée and beat for 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and  beat until combined. Fold in the walnuts.
4. Pour the batter in a greased loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes clean, the bread is ready.
5. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin is all around us, pumpkin granola, roasted pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, and the list goes on. So what’s your favorite way to eat pumpkin? I would love to hear from you. Next week, stay tuned for another holiday treat.

Join Us Every Thursday at 8 PM EDT for #SpicyChat Twitter Chat to bring some spice in your lives! We Love to share ALL recipes. Simply add the #Spicychat hashtag to your link, we will RT and also add your recipes to our Pinterest Board. For more spicy inspirations, join our #SpicyChat FB Page.

 

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