13 Days of Halloween: Day Seven

When the leaves start changing, the wind starts moaning, and the temperature drops to a deathly chill, we start craving pumpkin. There is something about sitting in your kitchen, watching leaves fall past your window that makes us want to make a big mess, and bake up a storm. Considering Thanksgiving has a monopoly on pumpkin pie, we figured it is the perfect time for pumpkin bread! Our recipe is adapted from Stonyfield Farms website, and will make your place smell delicious. It is moist, not too sweet, and tastes even better a day or two (or three...) after baking. Ready? Here we go.




Cast of Characters (big nod to the Pioneer Woman here):

1/3 cup canola oil, 1/2 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup pecans, 3 cups all purpose flour, 5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or to taste), 2 cups plain non-fat yogurt, three eggs, scant tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cup sugar, and a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree. Last minute we ended up adding 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.




Instructions:

These are from a sister's chickens. Look how orange the yolks are!

1) Crack three eggs into a large bowl.

2) Beat eggs with whisk until foamy.

3) Add a half cup of lightly packed brown sugar, mine was heaping, because it was the last of the bag.

4) Add a cup and half of sugar to the bowl.

 5) Add one third cup of oil.

6) Add two cups of plain, non-fat yogurt.

7) Add a scant tablespoon of vanilla extract.

8) Add all of the pumpkin pie spice (5 teaspoons total).

9) Add the whole can of pumpkin.

10) Stir until well mixed.

11) Add the teaspoons of ginger and cinnamon (last minute addition for us, but you could add this at the same time as the pumpkin pie spice).

Now it's time for the Halloween bowl!

12) Add all three cups of flour, tablespoon of baking soda, half tablespoon baking powder, and teaspoon of salt.

13) Whisk (or sift) dry ingredients together.

14) Pumpkin spatula! Mix into wet mixture gradually.

15) Add appox. 5 heaping tablespoons to greased mini loaf pans. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, covering with foil tents during last five to ten minutes to prevent the pecans from burning.

Yumm!!

We served our pumpkin bread with vanilla ice cream, pecans, and cinnamon, along with a bowl of our fall soup, and a bottle of hard apple cider. 

Perfect fall meal.