recipe: pumpkin bread

It's that time of year for pumpkin everything!

I tried the Cook's Illustrated recipe for pumpkin bread recently, and it was fantastic. Moist. Spongy. Good pumpkin flavor.

The recipe calls for walnuts, but next time I make it, I might substitute the nuts for chocolate chips. I'll let you know how that turns out. When my mom made this recipe, she omitted the walnuts entirely and reported that hers also was fantastic.

Pumpkin Bread

Adapted form Cook's Illustrated

Topping:

• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Bread:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 pieces
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (or combine 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice with 1/4 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes)
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Mix the topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingers and set aside.

For the bread, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In a large saucepan, mix pumpkin puree, salt, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and add sugar, brown sugar, oil and cream cheese. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until no pieces of cream cheese remain.

Whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Add egg mixture to pumpkin.

Fold flour into wet ingredients. Fold in walnuts.

Divide batter into two greased loaf pans. Sprinkle topping on the top of each loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes in 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans or about 40 minutes in 9-by-5-inch pans.

Cool in pans for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.