Pumpkin bread
So, yesterday I roasted a couple of pumpkins. Then last night I used a cup of the mashed pumpkin to make a loaf of pumpkin bread. Here's a little note to those of you who might want to make pumpkin bread. When the bread comes out of the oven, you will be sorely tempted to start cutting pieces off right away, while it's still warm. Because everybody knows nothing's as good as bread right out of the oven, right? Wrong. So wrong. Resist temptation, young grasshopper. Resist, and let the bread cool, preferably overnight. What will remain is a moist, rich, spicy loaf of bread-y goodness, just sweet enough--and a hundred times better than what came out of the oven the night before. Regretfully, I didn't know this, so now we have about a quarter of a loaf left.
Fortunately, I have two absolutely beautiful cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin sitting in my refrigerator, drained and ready to make more bread. I plan to process several more pumpkins, both for pumpkin pie for the holidays and possibly pumpkin bread as holiday gifts. Yummy. I have discovered a new taste obsession.
First off, don't buy one of those great big pumpkins that you'd use for a jack o'lantern. What you want to find are called sugar or pie pumpkins. They're much smaller (about 6 inches in diameter) and taste better. Cut the pumpkin(s) in half and put them cut side down in a baking dish. Cover with foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for about an hour and a half, until the flesh is fork-tender. Take them out and let them cool, then scoop the flesh from the shells. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a potato-masher, or run through a food processor until smooth. Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth or clean coffee filters, set the colander over a bowl, and pour the pumpkin into the colander. Let it drain for several hours, overnight if possible. Pumpkin puree can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, or frozen and kept for six months.
Pumpkin Bread
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 7x3 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. (I almost forgot, I had about half a cup of raisins leftover from something else, so I tossed them in as well, along with the wet ingredients.)
Bake for about an hour in the preheated oven. Bread is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Crossposted to roane
Fortunately, I have two absolutely beautiful cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin sitting in my refrigerator, drained and ready to make more bread. I plan to process several more pumpkins, both for pumpkin pie for the holidays and possibly pumpkin bread as holiday gifts. Yummy. I have discovered a new taste obsession.
First off, don't buy one of those great big pumpkins that you'd use for a jack o'lantern. What you want to find are called sugar or pie pumpkins. They're much smaller (about 6 inches in diameter) and taste better. Cut the pumpkin(s) in half and put them cut side down in a baking dish. Cover with foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for about an hour and a half, until the flesh is fork-tender. Take them out and let them cool, then scoop the flesh from the shells. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a potato-masher, or run through a food processor until smooth. Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth or clean coffee filters, set the colander over a bowl, and pour the pumpkin into the colander. Let it drain for several hours, overnight if possible. Pumpkin puree can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, or frozen and kept for six months.
Pumpkin Bread
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 7x3 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. (I almost forgot, I had about half a cup of raisins leftover from something else, so I tossed them in as well, along with the wet ingredients.)
Bake for about an hour in the preheated oven. Bread is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Crossposted to roane