Pumpkin Maple Bread
It’s as good an excuse as any to say I still seem to be decompressing from our vacation, slowly coming back to Earth, but not quite willing to sit down and harness my thoughts long enough to write anything.
Thinking it might be motivational, I did spend time in my kitchen dabbling with some traditional flavors of the season, incorporating them into a variety of dishes — including baked goods, casseroles, and soup. Pumpkin and cranberries often took a lead role, and in the case of this moist bread, provided quite a treat with coffee or tea in the morning.
It’s delicious toasted or not, but especially so with a smear of maple cream cheese butter. On the motivation front, written words are elusive, but time to sit and ponder it all just might produce something.
I’m thankful for that.
Pumpkin Maple Bread
2 eggs
1 c. golden brown sugar
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. pure maple syrup
7 oz. fresh roasted pumpkin
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch allspice
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Beat eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, syrup, and pumpkin to a medium bowl and stir to mix well.
In a separate larger bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices to combine. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to mix only until just moistened. Stir in the pecans.
Pour mixture into a large loaf pan well sprayed with oil. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center is removed clean. Allow to cool briefly in the pan before inverting onto a baking rack to cool completely.
Maple Cream Cheese Butter
4 oz. softened cream cheese
2 T pure maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T softened butter
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Enjoy on toasted or untoasted bread.
Notes:
I used the pulp from Wee Bee Little pumpkins for this recipe. They were baked whole in a 350 degree oven about 1 hour with several vents piercing the shells before baking. After baking, they were cooled completely at room temp., then split and the pumpkin removed, seeded, and mashed. The pumpkin not used was sealed in a ziplock bag and frozen for another time. It will last quite a long time if all the air is removed from the bag before freezing.
The bread is so moist and flavorful, we loved it.
I haven’t tried it with canned pumpkin, but I’m sure it would be just fine. Just make sure to use solid pack pumpkin and not the pie filling.
It’s a fairly sturdy bread, so I would imagine that it will travel well in holiday mailing, but I haven’t tried it myself.
If you plan to make it ahead, it freezes well if cooled completely before wrapping well and chilling.
This recipe was adapted from an old collection of New England recipes gathered together by a women’s club. Most of them have been passed on from family member to family member over generations, or shared with friends for years.
