Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

Before I started this cooking/recipe blog, I used to occasional post recipes on my “other” blog.  This is a repost from that blog, but when I made this bread the other night I realized that it wasn’t on this blog!  This recipe is delicious and a must for fall baking, so I felt it necessary to to share.

Ever since the first day of Fall last week, a lot of the foodie blogs that I read have been posting pumpkin recipes.  I LOVE pumpkin!  So, I was inspired to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon and bake something scrumptious. 

This afternoon I baked this incredible Pumpkin-Gingerbread Loaf.  I've always loved regular pumpkin bread (thanks to my mom at Christmas time) and this bread adds the ginger element, which just makes it outstanding.  It's moist and comforting with the pumpkin flavor and then it's got a slight ginger kick.  YUM!  I could easily eat half a loaf or 3-4 muffins...it is THAT good.

 

 

I found the recipe a few years ago on Recipezaar.  Since I'm always trying to make recipes a bit healthier, I cut back on the sugar by 1/2 a cup, used whole wheat flour and subbed half egg whites for the eggs.  It's not much of a "healthy" modification, but I figured even a little bit could make it more figure friendly.  The recipe makes 2 big loafs (9-inch pans).  I like to make 1 loaf and 12 muffins, so that I can have somewhat of portion control. :)  It also freezes really well.  If you decide to do muffins, they'll take about 22 minutes to bake.  Seriously, you have to make this bread...it is AMAZING and a wonderful Fall treat!

 

  

Ingredients.

12 muffins, minus 1 due to Quality Assurance. :)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf by Recipezaar

Printer-Friendly Version

• 1 cup margarine/butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 teaspoons ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Cream together margarine, sugar, and eggs.

2. Combine all dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with water and pumpkin.

3. Beat well.

4. Pour into 3 well greased loaf pans.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minute or until toothpick comes out clean.

Honey-Ginger Crunch Mix

I love snacks.  They are a great way to make your tummy stop rumbling in between meals.  Are you looking for a new snack?  Well, I suggest that you make this sweet Chex mix, because it is delicious!  I came across this recipe about a year ago when I had extra Chex to spare, after making the regular Chex mix.  It’s a nice change from the traditional savory Chex mix and it’s got some of my favorite ingredients in it. 

This mix contains nuts, pretzels, coconut, Craisins and honey.  Yum!  Plus, it’s got ground ginger in it.  I don’t know about you, but I love ginger.  It’s such a great flavor and it’s a bit unexpected in this mix.  Of course, I made a few modifications to the recipe, based on what I had in the pantry.  I used cashews and peanuts instead of almonds, and I added chopped, dried apricots with the Craisins.  Mmmm, I love this mix.  If you’re ever looking for a new type of Chex mix, head on over the the Chex website because there are a bunch of delicious varieties to try.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Cooling.

Ready to eat!

Honey-Ginger Crunch Mix

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or cardamom
• 6 cups Rice Chex® cereal
• 2 cups bite-size pretzel twists
• 1 cup unblanched whole almonds
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup dried cranberries or pineapple

Directions

1. Heat oven to 250°F. Spray large roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, honey and ginger to boiling. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Into roasting pan, measure cereal, pretzels, almonds and coconut. Stir in brown sugar mixture until evenly coated.
3. Bake 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes. Place in serving bowl; stir in cranberries. Store in airtight container.

Pumpkin Bread

Mmmm, I love pumpkin stuff!  I believe that my love for pumpkin started with the pumpkin bread that my mom always used to make around Christmas time.  It was moist, flavorful and oh-so-pumpkiny!  I was in love.

A few weeks ago, I felt the need for some pumpkin bread, and I happened to have some canned pumpkin leftover from making my pumpkin butter, so I got to baking.

Usually recipes for pumpkin bread make at least 2 loaves, but I didn’t want 2 loaves that were the same.  I don’t know why, but I just didn’t.  So, I made one “classic” loaf using Libby’s pumpkin bread recipe and I made another favorite of mine, Pumpkin Gingerbread. 

Both were delicious, as always!  The classic recipe takes me right back to be a little kid and eating the bread that my mom made; while the gingerbread one is a delicious twist to pumpkin bread and I love the flavorings.  Yum, yum, yum!  I could eat pumpkin bread all day.  Actually, when I made these recipes…I did. :)

Enjoy!

  

Ingredients.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf.

Classic Pumpkin Bread.

Deliciousness is served.

Libby’s Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. each nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c. each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
• 1 c. oil
• 2 c. canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. each raisins and nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the sugars, mixing well.
2. Mix dry ingredients with the oil and pumpkin, stirring until well combined.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 1/2 x 5 1/4-inch loaf pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Place on wire rack to cool.

Ginger Snaps and Chocolate Crackles

Whoa, look out!  I’ve got two cookies in one post.  Brace yourself for delicious sweetness.

About a month ago, I signed up for the “Cookie Bag Ministry” at church.  The ministry consists of members delivering cookies and information to first time guests of the church.  Well last week, I got my first phone call and assignment, and I was SO excited.  They told me that I could either bake cookies or buy cookies from the store.  Me?  Buy cookies from the store?  Perish the thought!!  Obviously, I opted to bake them myself.  And so my quest for new recipes began… 

I came across this first recipe about a week ago, on one of the blogs I read.  Therefore, I won’t re-post the recipe, I’ll just provide the link to it and share my review. 

Ginger Snap Cookies by  The Sister's Cafe

These cookies are AWESOME!  I love gingerbread cookies and ginger snaps; however, they do have a tendency to be a crispy cookie, as opposed to a soft and chewy one.  Well, not these!  These are soft, chewy and quite flavorful.  I definitely added in the “optional” white chocolate chips and I’m so glad I did because they compliment the ginger flavor beautifully.  These will without a doubt become one of my most loved cookies.  By the way, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients.

Mmmmm.

My usual, “quality control.”

The next cookie, Chocolate Crackles, comes from my Martha Stewart’s Cookies cookbook.  I’ve never made these kind of cookies before and they looked pretty in the cookbook, so I thought, “What the heck?”  Theses cookies are very tasty and very chocolatey!  I’d recommend rolling them in A LOT of powered sugar to get the full “crackle” effect, otherwise some of it will absorb.  Also, the recipe says to chill the dough for a few hours…well, I wasn’t that patient, so I just put it in the freezer for 30 minutes and voila!  As with the Ginger Snaps, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Crackly.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies by Martha Stewart

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. Using your hands, roll pieces of dough into a ball shape.  Roll dough in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week