With fall in full force, I am thoroughly enjoying the crisp cool weather, vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves, and Sunday football. But, I especially enjoy the flavors and foods of autumn: apples, pumpkins, gourds, squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar!
The flavors and foods have sparked my interest in baking hearty flavorful breads. The following recipe for Pumpkin Bread is scrumptious and is the perfect treat, day or night. The sweet and slightly bitter flavor of nutmeg and cinnamon along with the rich sweet flavor of brown sugar combined with moist pumpkin bread captures many of the flavors of fall.
Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 5 x 3-in. loaf pan with cooking spray.
Streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Bread
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 can pumpkin pie filling
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmegStreusel: Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until crumbly.
Pumpking Bread: Beat eggs, add water, oil, and pumpkin pie filling. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and fold just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle streusel topping.
Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the bread.
After returning from vacations or weekend getaways, the first thing I try to do is unpack. It's the worst thing about going on vacation - second to packing. So, after returning from a week of rest and relaxation in Cape Cod, I hurriedly unpacked. Until, without even realizing it, my attention shifted and I ended up in the kitchen, organizing my cupboards.
While rearranging and throwing away food, I found a(n) (old) box of Bran Flakes Cereal. As I remembered the cereal was so bland I barely ate it; but, as I looked at the box wondering who on earth could enjoy this cereal, I found a recipe for Berry Muffins on the side panel.
Looking at the ingredients, I noticed that I them all! So, I instead of throwing away a nearly full box of cardboard... I mean cereal, I decided to give the cereal a chance to redeem itself, and indeed it did! See recipe below!
Berry Muffins
(from Shaw's Bran Flake Cereal)
Makes 12
Muffins
1 3/4 cup Bran Flakes Cereal
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries.
Topping
1/3 cup crushed Bran Flakes cereal
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400f. Combine cereal, buttermilk, egg and oil in bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to break up the cereal. In another bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add cereal mixture to the flour mixture, stir just until combined - batter will be thick. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide even among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.
To prepare topping, combine cereal, brown sugar, and butter; mix well.
