Just before we left for Israel for the holiday break, I was trying to use up most things in the kitchen. With this in mind and the arrival of a new cookbook, ‘At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen’ by Amy Chaplin, I was perusing through it the night before where I was drawn to a recipe for pumpkin bread. It is an amazing book full of delicious recipes, that has inspired me to try when I come back to Portugal.
be still….a whole other world away
pumpkin bread with a toasted walnut cinnamon swirl
Recipe found ‘At Home in the Wholefood Kitchen’ with a few tiny variations. You can use any winter pumpkin, but the dense-fleshed ones like kabocha and red kur work the best because of their low water content.
Lately, I have been mixing the cinnamon walnut twirl straight into the batter so that it is incorporated throughout.
Makes one 12-inch loaf pan
cinnamon walnut swirl:
1 cup toasted walnut halves, chopped
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 Tbsp coconut or brown sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
pumpkin batter :
½ medium kabocha pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut in ½-inch dices (about 3½ cups)
2 cups whole-spelt flour/sprouted spelt flour
2 tsp aluminium-free baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 Tbsp vinegar
preparation :
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Lightly oil a loaf pan and line bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
make the cinnamon walnut swirl –
Place the walnuts on a tray and toast for approximately 8 minutes. Allow to cool, roughly chop and place in a bowl, with the cinnamon, maple syrup, and sugar. Mix to combine and set aside.
make the pumpkin batter –
Steam the pumpkin for 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain well, and cool. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Measure out 1½ cups and place in a medium bowl, add the oil, maple syrup, vanilla essence, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and stir to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin batter until just combined. Spread half of the batter over the bottom of loaf pan. Layer the cinnamon-walnut mixture evenly over batter and top with remaining batter. To create a swirl, use a small rubber spatula or butter knife to zig-zag back and forth, finishing with one stroke through the centre. I like to sprinkle the top with 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar & extra cinnamon.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before turning out and place on a wire rack. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. I love it lightly toasted the next day.
Goodness shared by Stacey
