Pumpkin Banilla Bread

Where has the time gone? My favorite time of year is fall, not just because of the cooler weather we get here in Texas, but for the fall food. Fall is a time to savor those cozy dinner recipes, warm casseroles, hearty soups, and delectable pumpkin desserts!

My favorite pumpkin bread recipe of all time is Eddie’s Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping. While it is an excellent pumpkin bread, the recipe here for Pumpkin Banilla bread is not too far behind. 🙂

My mom and I recently bought Jessica Merchant’s first cookbook titled “Seriously Delish“. Merchant, creator of the highly popular food blog that I love reading: How Sweet Eats, creates imaginative recipes that are both delicious and original. One of those recipes includes this innovative pumpkin banilla bread.

I never in my wildest dreams would have though to combine pumpkin bread with banana bread, but it winning combination and perfect for fall!

I have to give credit to my mom and sister to who baked this bread. I haven’t quite been in the mood to cook since being pregnant and all. 🙂

This bread is especially delicious if you add a dollop of Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter. The grocery store brand just won’t cut it for me, so every October I’ll go and spurge at William-Sonoma.

If you’re a quick bread lover, you should love the ripe bananas, classic pumpkin spice, and premium vanilla bean paste in this tasty bread.

Enjoy!

pumpkin banilla bread

Pumpkin Banilla Bread

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Source: Simply Delish

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup canned light coconut milk
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin puree and bananas and mix until combined. Stir in the coconut milk, butter, molasses, and vanilla bean paste. Mix until the ingredients come together.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until the top of the bread is golden brown and set, 85 to 90 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and allow to cool on a cutting board before slicing.

Beer Bread

It’s hard to believe that in my short (I guess) 25 years on this Earth, I have NEVER eaten beer bread before…. boy was I missing out!!!

Even though no one in my family drinks (my husband, myself, my parents, my sister, my in-laws, and my brother and sister-in-law … we’re special, we know :)), beer bread is something EVERYONE needs to try regardless if it contains alcohol in it!

My parents invited my husband and myself over to their house for dinner and had made chili in a biscuit bowl, except instead of the bread bowl, we made beer bread instead!!

With 1 stick of butter in the batter of the 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, you really don’t need to butter this bread at all. 🙂 The beer cooks out of the bread and leaves it’s wonderful flavor behind. Since the recipe calls for “good quality” beer or ale and since we don’t drink, my Dad relied on Central Market’s suggestion of the best beer to use in beer bread. They recommended Rahr & Sons Texas Red Amber Loger, which was a winner!

So, as the weather gets cooler here in Texas, this just means more opportunity for beer bread and chili. Yum!!

Enjoy!

Use a good quality beer such as Rahr & Sons Texas Red Amber Loger.

beer bread — Combine beer with flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Chili in a bread bowl — Beer bread is an awesome side to Chili in a Bread Bowl (you can omit the bread bowl and substitute beer bread!!)

Beer Bread

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 12

Source: Rebecca Rather’s “The Pastry Queen”

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 (12 ounce) bottle good quality beer or ale
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour in the beer and stir until just incorporated. (The dough will be sticky and heavy).
Pour half the melted butter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spoon in the bread dough and pour the remaining half of the butter on top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the bumpy top is golden brown. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

Notes

Variations: Beer bread lends itself to numerous mix-ins, including chopped chives, chili peppers such as jalapeños, green onions or any grated cheese.

Banana Blueberry Bread

As mentioned before, I write a food column for our monthly neighborhood magazine. For the month of February I featured my neighbor’s banana blueberry bread, which is out of this world good! (She was gracious enough to bake Matt and I an extra loaf of bread!) Below is an excerpt from my column:

Feeding a family of seven can be tough, especially when five kids are involved. Fortunately for Chas, her entire family LOVES this banana blueberry bread. It’s quick, easy to make and simple to double or triple the recipe when you have lots of mouths to feed!

“If you’re looking to lighten up this recipe, feel free to use a sugar substitute such as Splenda. The look may be slightly altered, but the taste is just as good,” says Chas. Enjoy!

Chas presenting her banana blueberry bread. The loaf in the middle contains Splenda, so it looks a little different…BUT tastes just as good!

Banana Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk (substitute 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and enough milk to make 1/2 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions
1. Position oven rack to the lowest rung. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms of 2 (8×4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9×5-inch) loaf pan. Or use aluminum so you can give them as gifts.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter. Stir in eggs until well mixed. Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and beat with a spoon until smooth.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
4. Divide batter evenly between two 8-inch pans or all in the 9-inch pan.
5. Bake 8″ loaves for about an hour and 9″ loaf about 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Yield: 2 (8×4-inch) loaves or 1 (9×5-inch) loaf
Recipe from: my neighbor – Chas

Eddie’s Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping

Tis the season for some pumpkin bread! Halloween is just around the corner, and today I pulled out my fall wreath, pumpkins and gourds to decorate. I also bought myself some candy corn, my favorite candy of all time.

My mom made this recipe for pumpkin bread last weekend and gave me a half of a loaf to enjoy. By Wednesday, I had finished it, and was already craving more. As I said earlier, decorating put me in a festive mood, so I decided to make this pumpkin bread recipe again. Instead of making two 9 x 5-inch loaves, I baked the bread into 4 mini loaves, and had leftover batter to make 8 standard-size muffins. (This recipe makes a lot of bread, so I recommend either halving the recipe, making mini loaves or muffins to pass out to family and/or friends, or freezing the extras.

As far as taste, this is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe. I think this homemade version tastes better than Central Market’s and Williams-Sonoma’s pumpkin bread, which are both very good. Our version is extremely moist (it does not dry out), has 4 flavorful spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, and the toasted pecans add a nice crunch. The recipe calls for a pecan streusel topping, but to save calories, we omitted it. I encourage you to try the streusel topping and let me know what you think. It sounds delicious!

I know that pumpkin is very nutritious for you, but I’m not sure I’d call this bread “healthy”. Our pumpkin bread has 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of vegetable oil (however, the recipe makes 2 loaves, which probably serves 32). In addition, the streusel topping contains 1/2 a stick of butter.

Quick breads are so easy to make and are one of my favorite mid-morning or late-afternoon snacks. Don’t forget to spread a large dollop of pumpkin butter on your pumpkin bread. A perfect complement, and unlike the name, this “butter” has 0 grams of fat and is only 35 calories per serving! Much healthier than adding cream cheese icing to the top…I’ll save the icing for cupcakes instead!

Don’t forget to toast the pecans, they taste ten times better, are more aromatic, and are crunchier. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Eddie’s Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Steusel Topping

Ingredients
BREAD
1-1/2 cups toasted pecan pieces (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
1 cup vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

TOPPING
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (above)

Directions
TO MAKE THE BREAD:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Reserve 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans for the topping.
2. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans or 36 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray.
3. Whisk the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, pumpkin and water and whisk until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Gently stir in 1 cup of the pecan pieces. Pour half of the batter into each loaf pan. For muffins, fill the muffin pans almost to the top with batter.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
4. Stir the sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the reserved 1/2 cup of pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the topping liberally over the loaves or the muffins before baking.

5. Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Bake the muffins 30 to 35 minutes.

***Tip: Pumpkin is a nutritional powerhouse on its own, but if you want to increase the health quotient here, substitute a cup of whole wheat pastry flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.

Yield: two 9 x 5-inch loaves or 36 standard-size muffins
The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe” by Rebecca Rather

Perfect Corn Bread

Here is my mom’s classic corn bread recipe that she has made in our family for years. We’ve made it in dressing for Thanksgiving, as a side for Taco Soup, or just by itself, dipped in milk (I remember as a kid my sister dipping her cornbread in a huge, round, glass of skim milk. She loved it!).

Over spring break, my sister and I made my mom’s Perfect corn bread as a side to go with our Grilled Shrimp and Green Bean Salad. It was delicious. Unlike the skillet cornbread recipe, which can get a little greasy around the edges due to the melted shortening, this corn bread is crispy on top, and warm and soft on the inside. The name says it all, “Perfect” Corn Bread. In addition, it has just a touch of sweetness from the 1/4 cup of sugar. Enjoy!!

Perfect Corn Bread

Serves: 12-16

Recipe adapted from: Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

Ingredients

1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening (vegetable oil)

Instructions

Mix first five ingredients (flour through cornmeal). Add eggs, milk, and shortening. Beat until smooth.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 425 degree oven in a greased 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Be aware that a glass pan conducts more heat than a metal pan, so adjust your baking time accordingly.

Parker House Rolls

Yum! Although we’ve only made these twice (for Thanksgiving 2010 and Christmas 2010), these Parker House Rolls are my family’s and my favorite dinner roll. They are buttery, soft, and steamy right out of the oven. These rolls are huge in size, but everyone in my family still manages to have at least one and a half rolls! We found this recipe in the “Food Network Magazine”, November 2010. In the magazine, Alex Guarnaschelli, host of Alex’s Day Off, shows how to make buttery pull-apart rolls for Thanksgiving.

Parker House rolls originated in the 1870s at Boston’s Omni Parker House hotel. “They’re delicious, and truly American,” Alex says. Enjoy!

Prepare all the ingredients. Once dough has doubled in volume, shape dough into a 16-by-8 inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Cut the dough crosswise in 12 strips. Fold strips into thirds, seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Brush with softened butter and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

Parker House Rolls

Serves: 24

Recipe from: Alex Guarnaschelli

Ingredients

1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Instructions

Bloom the yeast: Measure out 1/2 cup warm water and check the temperature: It should be between 110-120 degrees F (comfortable bathwater temperature). Sprinkle yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.
Make the dough: Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.
Let it rise: Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The dough should double in volume.
Shape the dough: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (don’t use a rolling pin).
Cut the dough: With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.
Shape the dough: One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so that the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)
Bake the rolls: Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees, then 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Cranberry Nut Bread

This is a family recipe from my Aunt Jolene, who got it from a coworker a long time ago. While I was in Houston visiting Jolene over Thanksgiving Break, she mentioned her desire to bake a loaf of cranberry nut bread for her late brother, Theron who passed away last week. So in honor of my Uncle “Son” (as we called him), we would like to dedicate these two mini loaves of cranberry nut bread to him.

In terms of taste, this cranberry nut bread is very, very good. I would also have say that it is pretty healthy! There is no butter, only 2 tbsp oil. Water, orange juice, and cranberries make this a low-fat and delicious quick bread you must try this season! Enjoy!!

Cranberry Nut Bread

Yields: 1 (9×5-inch) loaf pan or 2 (5×3-inch) mini loaf pans

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp orange rind
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 egg
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped nuts (we used pecans)
1 cup cranberries, cut in half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or two 5 x 3 x 2-inch mini loaf pans.
Sift flour, sugar, soda, powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Combine orange juice, grated rind, water, well beaten egg, and oil, and add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly moistened.
Stir in chopped nuts and raw cranberries that have been cut in half.
Pour into greased loaf pan(s). Bake for 50-60 minutes in the 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, or 40-45 minutes in the two 5 x 3 x 2-inch mini loaf pans.

Flour’s Famous Banana Bread

Okay…I know I already have like 5 banana bread recipes on my blog, but one is our favorite of all time, and I am not just saying that!!!

The ground cinnamon addition adds a delectable flavor to this bread that is absolutely spectacular! My mom made this bread at her house and I had a slice three days later and it was still the moistest banana bread I have ever tasted. I insist you try this banana bread recipe and add it to your favorites!

The recipe comes from Joanne Chang’s cookbook called, “Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe”. Enjoy!

Flour’s Famous Banana Bread

Serves: 1 loaf

Recipe from “Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe” by Joanne Chang

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9 x 5 inch pan.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for 5 minutes.
On low speed slowly drizzle in the oil. Don’t pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed until just combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and the nuts just until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top and the center springs back when you press it. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, and then pop it out of the pan to finish cooling.

Great Pumpkin Bread

I have yet to make a pumpkin bread recipe on my own, but I thought I would share with you a delicious and homemade pumpkin bread recipe that a wonderful parent made for me at my school. The recipe is called “Great Pumpkin Bread”, and comes out of the Waco Junior League Cookbook. (Junior League Cookbooks always have great recipes!)

My student’s parent says that “this is delicious thinly sliced and spread with a mixture of cream cheese and orange or pineapple marmalade”. She likes it best with strawberry cream cheese. I did not have cream cheese, and since I love Stonewall Kitchen’s Maple Pumpkin Butter, that is what I put on my pumpkin bread!

Great Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 2 (9×5-inch) loaves

Ingredients

1 cups plus 2 tbsp oil
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each of cloves, ginger, and nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9 x 5) inch loaf pans.
Blend together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients together and add to mixture.
Add pumpkin and pecans and mix well.
Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Notes

Recipe from: Waco Jr. League Cookbook

Coconut Banana Nut Bread

This is one of my all-time favorite banana breads because it’s sweetness! It is a sweeter and denser version of the Banana Bread I posted a few months ago. The sweetness comes from the shredded coconut…I don’t know of many banana breads with this coconut, so I think it adds to the uniqueness. The bread is very moist on the inside, and the top is lightly browned and just slightly crisp. This Coconut Banana Nut Bread is a Martha Stewart recipe. Enjoy it!

Combine flour, soda, and salt together in large bowl.

In mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil on medium-low speed.

Beat in flour mixture then add vanilla, banana, coconut, nuts, and buttermilk, and beat to just combine.

Pour batter into loaf pans and bake, rotating halfway through in 350 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or until cakes taster comes out clean from the center.

Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Coconut Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups ripe mashed banana (about 3)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Whisk first 3 ingredients in large bowl.
3. In electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil on medium-low speed until combined. Beat in flour mixture. Add vanilla, banana, coconut, nuts, and buttermilk and beat to just combine.
4. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through until cake tester comes out clean at center, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Bread can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic for 1 week, or frozen 3 months.

Yield: 2 (9 x 5 inch) loaves