HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Even though the calendar says it has been fall for over a month, we have had some beautiful, warm, summer-like days lately. While I will take a warm day in SF any month I can get it, I have been really craving all things fall. The crisp air, darker evenings, and pumpkin flavored things.
Over the years I have tested out numerous pumpkin bread recipes, and while all have been delicious, I was never committed to one recipe. Until now, that is. This year I was given the Tartine Cookbook as a gift, and I decided to test out theirs. Oh. My.Word. This bread was rich with flavor and had the perfect moist vs crumb ratio. I have found my recipe, and I'm sticking to it. Of course, I changed a few things, like using a mix of butter and applesauce instead of oil, and eliminating the cloves (I think my cupboard ate my jar of them). Thank you Tartine (and Soph for the book!).
Makes 1 loaf
Adapted from Tartine
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking Soda
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg (fresh if you have it, I used dried)
1 cup + 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp sugar for topping (I used 1 Tbsp each brown and granulated)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan.In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices and set aside.
In a larger bowl, mix together pumpkin, butter, applesauce, sugar and salt using a whisk or hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix!
Pour into loaf pan, sprinkle sugar on top, and bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool on a baking rack. Slice and serve!
Here are some pics from a few weeks ago when we took advantage of the great weather to visit the pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay. I picked my almost-larger-than-I-could-carry pumpkin and Kevin picked a more appropriate sized one :) Happy Halloween!
