Whew. How are you? Still standing? Me too…kinda.
I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to post pumpkin recipes in almost-January. It’s some kind of unwritten blog law. This is more like gingerbread made with pumpkin, anyway, which is totally allowed…right? Whatever. I have a craving for ginger and spice. Maybe I’ve actually reached chocolate overload.
Does that happen?
This baking adventure happened the day after Christmas. Because I’m insane. Let me explain…
((Run on sentence and…go.))
I did nothing but bake bake bake for two weeks straight but the holidays stressed me out to the max and my reaction to all things is to bake and then I got this Joy the Baker cookbook from that man of mine and I couldn’t wait to try it but I was fresh out of butter because I had dumped my entire kitchen into holiday baking but it’s like she was speaking directly to me because this bread is
VEGAN.
Oops. The ‘V’ word. Generally associated with dry, unappealing baked goods. Oh, but this is not that. This is far from that.
A series of mishaps related to an understocked kitchen and my post-Christmas brain led to some very fortunate mistakes.
Like, oh, say…..double the pumpkin.
Oops… but oops so good.
I was sure it was ruined and would never bake through but…it was ok! It was just…insanely moist. Thus: puddin’ bread. (Still sturdy, easily sliced, holds its shape just….insanely moist.)
Then I realized that don’t have maple syrup. I do have molasses (how the heck did that happen?).
I’m ok with it because now we’re making gingerbready pumpkin bread.
Get into it.
Then, I basically doubled all the spices called for (on purpose this time..swear).
I added no nuts, no chocolate, no cranberries…nothing.
I went pure and simple. This is NOT a cookie and NOT loaded with all kinds of chocolate chips double fudge amazing but exhausting nonsense.
It’s warm winter spicy. It’s perfect with a cup of tea.
You don’t even have to put anything on top. It’s delicious on it’s own.
I know…I tried.
This will be nice to have around for the first groggy day of the new year. It still feels holiday special but it’ll ease the transition to inevitable January health food. You can even make it a day or two ahead and just not worry about breakfast that morning.
That said…if you wanted to slice it nice and thick and make ginger pumpkin bread french toast for New Year’s Day brunch well…
I certainly wouldn’t stop you.
May all your mistakes be happy.
Enjoy!
❤ Ellen
Ginger Pumpkin Puddin’ Bread
Recipe based on Joy’s vegan pumpkin bread recipe from her awesome cookbook…which you need
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 HEAPING teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (or homemade)
1/2 cup canola oil (I actually went a little light on the oil…just under 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 tablespoons molasses
2 1/2 tablespoons water
Optional: 1 cup any sort of add it (pecans, chocolate chips, cranberries, etc)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, grease and flour your loaf pan, set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices ((adjust those spices to taste!)) until well combined
- In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, molasses and water until well combined
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold them together until just barely combined
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Let rest in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack until completely cooled. Loaf will last on the counter for about 5 days. They freeze well too! Recipe easily doubled so you can freeze the spare =)
Ellen in the Kitchen 