Jennifer's Recipe: Pumpkin Chai Spiced Bread

What are you thankful for this year? One of the things I am thankful for is my kitchen stove. Probably not the first thing that comes to your mind!  I recently realized that my stove is 26 years old and still cooking and baking away for me. It is a workhorse for sure! For someone who loves to cook and bake, that causes me to be thankful and to celebrate.  Our water heater just quit working after only 10 years. Apparently, that is about all you can expect from them. Wimpy! Our everyday lives depend on our various appliances, but how often do we realize their importance? Usually, when they break!  So if your appliances are working today, you should be very thankful!

My stove gets a workout for sure.  Even after 26 years, it always rises to the challenges that I present it with. So let's celebrate our stoves by baking a loaf of Pumpkin Chai Spiced Bread.  This is a slight twist on regular pumpkin bread. It offers a deep, rich flavor because of all the spices that are used. If you are a baker, you probably have all the spices, but if you don't, it would be worth purchasing them.  Personally, I also like that the recipe uses only 1 cup of pumpkin because that leaves some to use in other recipes. It also uses less sugar and less oil than many other pumpkin bread recipes.  I do find that this bread is best after it sits at room temperature for 8 - 12 hours before eating. This is a challenge because it smells so good, but if you want the best product, you need to wait! 

So this year, I am including my stove in my list of things to be thankful for. I encourage you to do the same.  I hope you will try Pumpkin Chai Spiced Bread as a way to thank your stove. 

Thankful for you, 

Jennifer

Pumpkin Chai Spiced Bread

Bread Batter Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cup neutral oil such as canola or avocado

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cardamom1 Tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.  Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin and yogurt (or sour cream if using that) and whisk till smooth.  Next, whisk in the oil and vanilla. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Gently stir just until combined and smooth. Do not overstir. Pour the mixture into the greased loaf pan. 

Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Then sprinkle it on top of the bread until the bread is covered. 

Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes. Use a toothpick in the center and make sure it comes out clean. If it is not done, I suggest covering it lightly with foil, so the top won't brown too much as it continues to bake.  Recheck about every 5 minutes until it is done.  Remove from the pan.  Cool on rack for 10 - 15 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely on rack.

When cooled, place in a sealed storage container and wait 8 - 12 hours before serving. This bread is best eaten the first two or three days, but will stay moist for up to about 5-6 days. Store at room temperature in the sealed container. Yield: 1 loaf

Recipe Notes:

* You can use a 9 x 5-inch pan, but the loaf will not be as high. You will need to bake for a shorter time. 

* You can increase the spices some, especially if your spices are old! Use heaping measurements in the batter.

* I use Oikos Vanilla Greek yogurt, and it is perfect. Other Greek yogurts will work, or use sour cream. 

* The topping is ample, and some falls off while removing it from the pan.  This is fine. 

Recipe Source: 

Adapted from two recipes. One was from How Sweet Eats and one from One Bowl Baker