BAKE 52: WEEK 39

SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD

The only good thing about summer ending is the beginning of fall!  Not the middle or end, just the the beginning, when the days are still warm and the mornings and evenings are comfortable in a sweater.  When I can bring out the candle scents I've been craving since last fall.  When the sun light is softer and the house is quieter and I feel like baking every scent I'm burning.

  No other season brings out the baker in me like fall (although every season requires a good amount of baking!).  So what better kick-off to this season than a yummy spiced pumpkin bread?  And since I really felt like celebrating, I took the bread and my family on a picnic dinner in the mountains.  We were at Sundance, surrounded by the beauty of fall leaves, but it was the pumpkin bread that all eyes were on for the few minutes of its delicious existence.  We (even the fussies) absolutely loved this bread! This will be my go-to recipe now for pumpkin bread.  

I loved how much actual pumpkin was in the loaf and that it was moist without being sticky, which sometimes happens with pumpkin bread.  I omitted the nuts and cranberries since I'm not a huge fan of either, and threw in some mini chocolate chips instead.  Chocolate really is a must in pumpkin bread for me, but I think this bread would have been delicious plain too.  This bread just might become a staple this fall for my family.  

Even if you have a recipe you love, give this one chance!

SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD (p. 50)

Makes one 8-inch loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 taspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (unsweetened)
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse
1cup (5 ounces) dried cranberries (optional)

1.  Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pan.

2.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger together in a large bowl.  

In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth.  Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix).  Gently fold in the pecans and cranberries (if using).  The batter will be very thick.

3.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

4.  Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn our onto a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.