pumpkin loaf (5 ways)

Seriously.  This is THE BEST LOAF in the history of all loaves.  I lie not.  Heck… Between October 14th and October 24th I baked it 5 times.  5 times! And you get 2 good-sized loaves out of each recipe.

I was flipping through the recipe book Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Polafito when I spotted this gem of a recipe.  It looked good… and what better way to know for certain than to try it right?

OMG I am so happy I decided to bake it.  It is OUTSTANDING!

Bye-bye banana loaf.

Sayōnara zucchini bread.

Hello pumpkin loaf.  Oh how I heart you… and so does everyone else who tastes you.

You might wonder… how can I still love this recipe after making it so often (and yes, I have tried every single loaf that has come out of my oven)?  Easy.  I switch it up a little.  The basis of the loaf is always the same – but then I add to it: nuts, dried fruit, types of chocolate chips, other fruit.  It’s ridiculous how versitile this recipe is – and every single time it’s a winner.  Every. Single. Time.

Let me count the ways I love this recipe:

1.  No stand mixer required.  Just a whisk, a couple of bowls and a rubber spatula.

2.  It smells AMAZING – from the moment you start on the batter until you take it out of the oven – you will be in heaven.

3.  It makes 2 loaves at once.  You can share the love among friends and family… and still keep one all to yourself.

4.  It tastes great with bre cheese.  Seriously … ask Julie.

5.  It’s just delish.  ‘Nuf said.

(baked) pumpkin chocolate chip loaf (original version – with my little “twists”)

ingredients:

3 1/4 c. flour, sifted

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp group allspice (I used ground cloves)

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 3/4 c. pumpkin purée (one 15 oz. can)

1 c. vegetable oil

3 c. sugar (I used 1 c. white & 2 c. brown sugars)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 c. water, room temperature

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used half white & half semisweet chocolate chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spray two 9 inch loaf pans with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon nutmeg, allspice (cloves), ginger, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In another, larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée and the oil until combined.  Add the sugar(s) and whisk again. 

It’ll thicken nicely – now add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition, and the vanilla.  Add the water and whisk until combined.  Grab your rubber spatula and stir in the chocolate chips.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients – try not to overmix.

Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.  Gently tap the pans against the counter – it’ll remove any air bubbles and level out the top of each loaf.

Bake at the centre of the oven – about 1 hour 20 minutes (give or take) – a toothstick or tip of knife should come out clean when inserted in the centre.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack, cool for about 15 minutes; then invert the loaves and cool completely.  And then slice into it. 

As you can tell from my enthusiasim – there are many more ways to make this loaf. 

Here are my 4 alternatives:

pumpkin chocolate chip pecan mini loaves

*add 3/4 c. chopped pecans to the batter at the same time as the chocolate chips.  Otherwise – everything remains the same.

apple spice pumpkin chocolate chip loaf

*add a large apple (peeled, cored, diced, sautéed) to the batter as the same time as the chocolate chips.

*next time I will grate the apple into the batter … but it still tasted good in chunks.

pumpkin date walnut loaf

* replace the cloves with pumpkin spice, replace the chocolate chips with chopped dates and toss in 3/4 c. walnuts to the batter.

pumpkin peanut butter chocolate chip loaf

*decrease the vegetable oil to 1/2 c. and add 1 c. natural peanut butter.  Add the peanut butter at the same time as the pumpkin purée.

*my mother’s favourite version – she loved how much it tasted of peanut butter

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