Pumpkin Bread and Bread Pudding

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Holiday baking season is upon us and this means my oven has been on almost daily for the past few weeks.  I've been experimenting with so many recipes, but pumpkin has been a stand out lately for me.  Of course it may be the weather but I'm in love with the aroma this brings throughout the house as it's baking!

Tip:  I included a recipe to make your own pumpkin puree below.  I admit I have used canned pumpkin in previous years, but once you make your own, you'll be impressed how easy it is.  If you have leftover pumpkin puree, it freezes really well too.

I actually made this recipe twice.  The first loaf turned out wonderful, and was gobbled down by friends and family in a flash.  When I decided to make another loaf of pumpkin bread a week later, disaster struck.  I must have been too rushed with my prepping the baking pan (butter and flour) thoroughly because the loaf stuck... and broke in half.  I was so sad!  I was beating myself up when I remembered that this recipe was actually linked to a bread pudding recipe.  Cutting the broken chunks up into little cubes, my mistake was no longer noticeable and turned into one of the most amazing desserts!   Seriously, this is my favorite new "recipe box" addition this year.  Thanks to Bobby Flay!

Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook

Makes one 9" loaf.

Ingredients

    1 cup all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup white whole wheat flour  (*or substitute all-purpose)
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla bean paste

    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
    1/4 cup coconut oil (or sub canola oil )
    1/4 cup agave syrup (or sub additional brown sugar)
    1 cup dark brown sugar

    Scant 1 cup pumpkin puree (recipe for homemade pumpkin puree below)
    2 large eggs
   1/4 cup buttermilk

   chopped pecans and coconut flakes for topping (optional)


Fresh Sugar Pumpkin Puree
Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut sugar pumpkin in half, remove seeds, roast in oven cut side down for 1 hour.  Scrape out cooked pumpkin, discard skin.  Puree in blender.  (Note: Puree can be made 1 day ahead, or stored in the freezer for future use.)

Pumpkin Bread
Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter a 9-inch loaf pan.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter, vanilla, sugar, agave, and coconut oil on high speed until light and fluffy about 1 minute. Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Mixing on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and 2/3 cup water until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out top with a spatula.  Top with chopped pecans and coconut flakes (optional).
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain

1 loaf Pumpkin bread (recipe above)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons rum

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter a 9 x 11in glass baking pan.   Spread bread cubes out in pan.  Combine eggs, sugar, honey, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Whisk in cream, milk, vanilla, and rum.  Pour oven bread to submerge, let sit for 15 minutes.  Then bake for 1 hour.


Bread pudding is best served warm and even better a la mode... and with caramel sauce.  It's the holidays, why not?! :)

Not my car... but had to take a picture of it when I came upon it!