Pumpkin Bread

I KNOW, so many sweets in a row. I have a super-easy chicken recipe all ready for you and a killer meatball dish coming up, but in the meantime, it's almost Thanksgiving in the US which means the (not literal but mental) change from autumn to winter is fast approaching and I want to get this pumpkin recipe to you now because it's too good to miss. Plus, I'm going to be in Asia for the next two weeks so you'll be a bit on your own, and it wouldn't be the Recipe Box Project if we didn't overdo it on decadent breakfasts.

This recipe is an illustrated mimeograph made for kids (at least I assume it's for kids based on the instructions to 'have an adult turn on the oven'), so I'm not sure how it made it into the box. I was too young when Eleanor died to have been given something like this, so maybe it was given to my older (male) cousins and somehow wound up with Eleanor? Regardless, it's super adorable if a pain to try to cull together the ingredients since they're all listed by steps.

The downfall of loads of pumpkin recipes is that they take 2 tablespoons of pumpkin, or ¼ cup of pumpkin or whatever, but you've already had to buy a whole can of pumpkin that you're now stuck with. You'll leave it in the fridge for a week or so promising yourself you'll make another pumpkin recipe before it goes bad, but there's only so much pumpkin you can take, and inevitably it turns before you have a chance, so you end up tossing ¾ of a can of pumpkin. Not a huge deal when you're stateside and pumpkin costs next to nothing, but here in the UK where I can only find it at American grocery stores and it costs £3 a can... I refuse to waste a single spoonful. So it was great to see that this recipe calls for an entire can- no waste! Between all the pumpkin and the use of oil instead of butter, this recipe is incredibly moist and delicious; add a handful of pecans or walnuts and any dried fruit you have on hand (cherries are particularly stellar) and you've got an excellent fall treat. Easy to transport, scented with the smell of autumn, dairy-free and easy to make nut-free, this breakfast-y cake is perfect with a hot mug of coffee or tea and everyone is sure to love it. It makes a perfect hostess gift for the person whose Thanksgiving dinner you're attending, and you'll be the favourite guest when they get up on Black Friday morning and realise they don't have to make breakfast.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. It's so easy a kid could make it, your whole house will smell like autumn, and it tastes even better with an extra sprinkle of brown sugar on top. Make this over the Thanksgiving holidays, especially if you're an expat missing the celebrations this time of year, and you'll be glad you did.

One year ago: crazy crust apple pie
two years ago: Deluxe Pecan pie

the recipe:

Easy Pumpkin Bread

the directions:

Preheat oven to 175C/350F and grease 1 large or 2 small loaf pans.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and nuts/fruit if using.
Add water and stir gently to combine, then set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat together sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs until well-combined.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until smooth.
Pour into prepared loaf pan and top with extra brown sugar if using.
Bake for 1 hour until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate and cool completely before serving.

the ingredients:

2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ c water
1 c sugar
½ c brown sugar
1 can of pumpkin (425g)
½ c oil
2 eggs
Optional: a handful of coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, a handful of dried fruit, and/or a generous sprinkle of brown sugar to create a crunchy 'lid.'

Holiday Almanac December 11: Wrapping Gifts & Gingerbread Pumpkin Cupcakes

For more information on the Holiday Almanac, go here. Or to see what I've been up to on past Holiday Almanac days, check out this page.

Gingerbread pumpkin cupcake with vanilla buttercream, garnished with a sugared cranberry. 

I love wrapping gifts. I get really sad when I buy something for someone that needs to be put in a bag, or if I can't find a box that fits the thing that I bought, because I seriously enjoy wrapping gifts, especially if I have a whole lot to do. (Fun fact: the first year we were married, I made stocking for Judson and myself. I filled them both and presented them as though Santa had left them... and I was so excited about the goodies inside that I wrapped every single thing in the stockings. Christmas took a long time that year.) Anyway, I find wrapping gifts very zen and I love doing them up in simple papers and then stacking them up under the tree, so I was excited that today, my last vacation day off before Christmas, I would be able to get a jump on that task. (And seriously: it's a good thing I'm putting a dent in our gift wrap stash-- after spending last winter working at a stationery store, we have a lot of gift wrap, ribbons, tags, and tissue, and it feels good to put it to use.)

Decorate with white chocolate stars, Candied cherries, sliced almonds & currants, or sugared cranberries.

The gifts I've bought are now wrapped up and nestled under the tree, and I'm rapidly checking things off my Christmas to-do list, which is a great feeling... but nothing beats the smell of warm gingerbread and spices that's currently wafting through the house from the kitchen. I know, I know: cupcakes are played out and boring these days, but if you think so, it's only because you haven't had these ones. I whipped up the gingerbread pumpkin cupcakes today from a 'from-scratch' recipe in the box (called, mysteriously, Colonial Gingerbread) because I couldn't find any gingerbread cake mix at the shops. But if you can, then you're welcome to make this with cake mix, as Ms. Crocker originally intended. However, this colonial gingerbread recipe requires only one bowl, cooks in 20 minutes, and is so delicious I'd really encourage you to make it. From the quantities below, you'll get about 9 cupcakes or 2 small loaves of gingerbread-- note that this cake is delicious by itself and you could serve them as muffins without frosting, or feel free to frost them up as per the below if you're looking for something a little more festive.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. Pumpkin is incredibly hard to find in the UK and insanely expensive in cans when you do find it, so I don't like to waste it on recipes I'm not sure will be good. But these cupcakes did not disappoint and were totally worth cracking open my last can of pumpkin purée for. These are a perfect party food and honestly I wish I had made them for our party last week, but alas, I didn't know about them then. Oh well, here we are and they taste delicious. Enjoy!

The recipe:

Colonial Gingerbread Pumpkin Cupcakes

the directions:

Preheat oven to 165C/325F.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Into large bowl, combine all ingredients.
Beat well until blended but not completely smooth (a few lumps will help it rise).
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter and bake 20 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and frost with vanilla buttercream frosting and decorate as you wish.

the ingredients:

1 c flour
½ c black treacle or molasses
¼ c + 2 tbsp buttermilk
¼ c sugar
Heaping ¼ c pumpkin
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
1 batch vanilla buttercream frosting (I used this one)

No-Bake Pumpkin-Spice Latte Pie, or, Java Pumpkin Pie, 1970s-style

Well, I've done it. I've definitively proven that Eleanor was 100% ahead of her time when it comes to baked goods. While the rest of us would only discover the joys of the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003 when Starbucks brought it to us at an unprecedented scale, Eleanor knew the secret wonder of pumpkin + coffee + spices ever since the 1970s, and now you can too!

There's a family legend around here that goes like this: one time when I was a toddler, I demanded to call my grandmother before we visited her later that week. We got on the phone, and I told her I was excited to come see her.

'What are we going to do when you come visit, Blair?' asked my grandmother innocently.
'WE WILL MAKE A PUNKIN PIE.' I stated vociferously.
'But it's August...' said my grandmother, already trying to talk me out of it.
'WE WILL MAKE A PUNKIN PIE.' I said again.
'Ok,' said my grandmother, 'how will we make this pumpkin pie?'
'FIRST we go to Publix and get the vipping cream!' I exclaimed, ever clear on my priorities.*

And that was how I learned, as a very small toddler, that you can talk your grandparents into making a pumpkin pie in the off season if you just explain to them in a step-by-step manner exactly what you require.

But back to the pie at hand: We all know the PSL is a little played out-- even the most diehard addicts would have to admit that when Pringles started making pumpkin spice crisps, the novelty of PSLs may have started to wane. So this year, instead of thinking up the most random dessert/breakfast/meal/drink that you can pumpkin-spice-ify, why don't you take it back to the OG pumpkin-spice product and make this pie. It's warming, it's comforting, you make the whole thing in one bowl and you don't even have to bake it!

Plus, if you bring this to your Friendsgiving celebration on Thursday, I can guarantee you'll be the hit of the party. I mean, who DOESN'T love pie and coffee? Bonus points if you serve it with homemade, vanilla-scented whipped cream, but seriously, no one is going to turn down a slice of this even if you serve it plain.

*It's important to recognise that, as a toddler, I didn't care at all about pumpkin pie, but I loved whipped cream. I had learned that my parents wouldn't generally give me a squirt of whipped cream straight from the can if I asked without pumpkin pie, but with pie present, I could, at the very least, lick all of the whipped cream off of my slice before I ate it.

The verdict:

5 spoons out of five. There's pie and then there's pie when it comes to Thanksgiving, and even though I recognise that there is nothing the world needs less than another pumpkin pie recipe this time of year, the fact that this one is no-bake (NO CROWDING OUT YOUR OVEN!) and infused with strong coffee (CAFFEINE TO COMBAT YOUR TURKEY COMA!) really set it apart. No matter whether you're the type who likes to stick with the classics on Thanksgiving (like me!) or the type who likes to experiment with new and unusual dishes each year, this riff on the classic is the perfect dish for you... and your friends, if you decide to share!

The recipe:

No-Bake Pumpkin-Spice Latte Pie

the directions:

Put cold milk and gelatin into blender or food processor container.
Add hot coffee, cover and process on low until gelatin dissolves (be sure to scrape the bottom every now and then, where the blades don't scrape!).
Add brown sugar, pumpkin, salt, spices, and cream, then cover and blend until smooth.
Add crushed ice or ice water gradually and process until ice is liquefied.
Pour into prepared crust and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

the ingredients:

½ c cold milk
5 tbsp unflavoured gelatin
½ c coffee, heated to boiling
¾ c brown sugar, firmly packed
2 c canned pumpkin
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
½ c cream
1 c crushed ice or very cold water
1 graham cracker crust or pre-baked pie crust (I used this one)