When I moved in with my roommate and very close friend, Sarah, two summers ago I decided to show how excited I was by baking us some homemade banana bread. Two days later, it was gone! So I made some more, this time with dark chocolate chips and toasted walnuts and again, it quickly disappeared. After about a dozen of these loaves we both felt it was time to start mixing it up (pun totally intended). With Fall quickly approaching, we felt something pumpkin-y was apropos. After some experimentation and late-night tastings, this Pumpkin Bread with Spiced Apples came into fruition.
I’m a huge fan of ingredients like agave and coconut oil which, in many recipes, substitute fantastically for other fats and sweeteners. Having worked with them before, I wanted to see if I could incorporate them into this recipe in order to boost the “healthy factor”. These were my results:
I made one pumpkin bread with butter and sugar (all organic, of course) and one with coconut oil and agave. Agave is a liquid sweetener (liquid=more moisture) and is much sweeter than sugar so I attempted to compensate by reducing the quantity by ¼ cup. I also substituted an equal amount of coconut oil for the butter. The results were VERY disappointing. While the butter and sugar loaf was just sweet enough, moist, flavorful and pumpkin-y, the agave and coconut oil one was heavy, not sweet enough, and lacked the dimension and flavor of the other. The recipe calls for only 3/4 cups of sugar which translates to 3 tsp/45 calories, per serving (10 slices/loaf); substituting the agave would only reduce the calories per serving by about 25. I considered reducing the amount of pumpkin to accommodate the agave but in the end, decided that it wasn’t worth sacrificing the pumpkin flavor, the healthy benefits of its antioxidants or its high vitamin A content, to accommodate such a small amount of sweetener.
The butter versus coconut oil debate led me to determine that while coconut oil can be substituted for the butter, tablespoon for tablespoon, and still produce a presentable loaf, the one made with butter had a much richer flavor and a slightly fluffier crumb, which I prefer. Again, as it is a relatively small amount, I had to rule in favor of the butter.
This sweet fall treat can be justified any time of day and transitions well from loaf form to muffins. Some days I like mine for dessert warmed up with a scoop of organic vanilla ice cream, some days I prefer it for breakfast, accompanied by a cup of coffee. If you are making this specifically for a dessert, the addition of a handful of streusel on top before baking or a smear of cream cheese frosting really adds a nice finishing (and yummy) touch.
Time is our most precious commodity- we have a finite amount of it every day and once it’s gone we never get it back. Taking time to do something for someone is the ultimate way of showing that you care. For me, my time is often most rewarding when spent in the kitchen. Few things give me greater pleasure than nourishing the people close to me with something delicious. I have no power over this urge, it’s the Jewish mother in me, but then again, I don’t hear my roommates complaining.
Pumpkin Bread with Spiced Apples
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- ¾ Cups granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups plain canned pumpkin
- ¼ Cup plain yogurt (Fage Total is a great one)
- 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Apples:
o 1 Cup (about one medium) McIntosh apple, peeled and diced into appx ½ inch cubes
o 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
o 2 teaspoons Sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour the bottom only of a 9×5 loaf pan. (If it’s a nonstick pan, grease and flour the bottom and the sides); set aside
3. Toss diced apples in a small bowl with 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar; set aside
4. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl; add apples and toss; set aside
5. Mix pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
6. Lightly fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined; batter should look thick and chunky, but with no streaks of flour. Do not over mix.
7. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
9. May be served warm or at room temperature. If frosting, wait until completely cooled. Best if eaten within 3 days.
One serving has nearly an entire day’s worth of recommended Vitamin A and at 10 servings per loaf, this delish recipe comes to only 230 calories a slice. Try a slice with a peice of fruit for breakfast.
Vanilla Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1, 8oz package cream cheese, softened (nufchatel cheese makes a nice lower fat substitute)
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ Cups confectioners sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1. In a medium bowl, with an handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until combined but still glossy.
2. Sift in confectioners sugar (to prevent lumps) and add the cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until well combined and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat at the frosting can curdle and become lumpy.
3. Make sure item to be frosted is completely cooled before frosting it. Sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon for some added panache.
4. ENJOY!
Streusel Topping
This recipe makes enough to top two pumpkin breads.
Ingredients:
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (if desired)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces
1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugars, spices and salt until combined.
2. Add chilled butter and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together. It should be clumpy but not a homogeneous lump.
3. Refrigerate while preparing pumpkin bread batter, at least 15 minutes
4. Using your fingers, distribute chilled topping evenly over pumpkin batter before baking.
Streusel Topping recipe adapted from “Fruit Crisp”. The Best Recipe, By the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine. Copyright 1999, Boston Common Press.
Related posts:
- Zucchini-Banana Nut Bread
- Crafty & Tasty Holiday Gifts
- Yummy Chia Pudding
- Organic Vegan Italian Cookies
- How to Make Vanilla Extract
- In the Kitchen with Natalia – Pretty Parfait
- Muffins Gone Healthy!
- True Love Chocolate Hazelnut Hearts
comment closed