Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin season is upon us. With Halloween lurking right around the corner and Thanksgiving plans being finalized, grocery stores are stocked full of both fresh and canned pumpkin – and it’s on sale! Pumpkin pie is an obvious and beloved choice for this fall vegetable. Despite loving this carrot colored globe in most forms, pie is not one of them, aside from when I pick at a piece once a year on the fourth Thursday of November. Come October 1, right around when Starbucks starts serving up foamy epitome-of-fall lattes, however, my taste buds begin to tingle for creamy pumpkin with a kick of cinnamon and spice.

A slice of moist pumpkin bread haunts my dreams, but I awake realizing I have every ingredient in my pantry for this delectable bread. This version combines organic canned pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, Splenda granulated sugar, and canola oil, making it slightly healthier (less saturated fat and sugar) than a hunk of  pumpkin bread from the Starbucks case.

Yield: One loaf
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Splenda granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
TOPPING
1 tbsp Splenda granulated sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter (made with olive oil), melted
2 tbsp chopped walnuts

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 9×5 inch bread pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, add pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices. Using a handheld mixer, blend until well combined.

4. Add mixture to bowl with flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and all ingredients are combined. Slowly and evenly sift mixture into prepared baking pan.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and 1 tbsp butter, brush across top of loaf. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

6. Gently run a dull knife along the edges to loosen bread from pan, let stand in pan for 5 minutes. Gently turn out of pan and let cool for another 5 minutes on a rack, cutting board, or clean plate.

7. Slice loaf into even pieces, about 1 1/4” thick – or cut as many slices as you want, wrap the rest of the loaf in tin foil and preserve in the fridge or freezer for later.