I grew up hearing that wearing white was not okay after Labor Day. Similarly, I think many people would say that pumpkin is not okay after Thanksgiving. Would you agree? In recent years, fashion magazines have said white is acceptable after Labor Day, if done correctly. I'd like to think the same applies to pumpkin too. In case you disagree, I made pumpkin gingerbread, to prove that I'm at least starting to move on from my fall obsession. (...and I may or may not have another pumpkin recipe up tomorrow, oops...)
I'm actually writing this post while the loaves are cooling in my kitchen and the smell is driving me crazy. My house smells like Christmas! And Fall! To be honest, I've already burnt my fingers a few times trying to pick at one of the muffins. I managed to sneak a few bites and MAN are these good! I don't know that I've ever made bread or muffins with such a perfect, fluffy texture. You get the flavor of the pumpkin with the wonderful gingerbread spices. I left these unadulterated, but you could also add some nuts (walnuts or pecans) and/or dried cranberries!
Pumpkin Gingerbread
*fills 4 mini-loaves + 6 muffins or 2 regular-sized loaf pans
adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1 cup brown sugar
-1 cup oil
-4 eggs
-2/3 cup water
-1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
-2 tsp ground ginger
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground cloves
-1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 tsp baking soda
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugars, oil, and eggs until smooth. Add water, beating until well-combined.
2. Stir in pumpkin and spices. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until blended.
3. Grease pans (4 mini loaves & 6 muffin tins or 2 regular loaf pans) and divide batter among pans.
4. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (approximately 30-40 min for mini loaves, 18-20 minutes for muffins, and 1 hour for regular loaves...be sure to check frequently!)
This post is linked to Eat at Home.