No Plain Jane Pumpkin Bread Here

With a cabinet full to bursting with cans of pumpkin puree, multiple bags of pumpkin seeds, plus giant pumpkins lined up on my front step, waiting to be carved, it’s a surprise that I haven’t yet turned orange. This versatile squash has been working its way into every dish of every meal, be it sweet or savory, and it’s about time that I have something to show for it. Luck was on my side when a good hunk of stale bread crossed my path, practically begging to be used lest it end up in the waste bin. For ages, some sort of pumpkin bread pudding had been on my “to bake” list, and finally, I can cross that one off for good.

Simple as all get-go, I might argue that it’s even better than that ubiquitous pumpkin bread that everyone and their best friend feels the urge to make around this time of year. Warm, creamy, and comforting, it’s the perfect dessert to ward off those autumn chills while celebrating the season’s bounty. It’s a snap to customize depending on your preference; consider the spices as a mere suggestion, and a handful or two of nuts, chocolate, or dried fruit never hurt anything.

Yield: Makes 8 Servings

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Name: Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 Pound Crusty Bread; 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree; 1 Tablespoons Cornstarch; 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed; 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon; 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger; Pinch Salt; 1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk; 1 Tablespoons Dark Rum; 1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger, Chopped Finely

Warm, creamy, and comforting, bread pudding is the perfect dessert to ward off those autumn chills while celebrating the season's bounty. It's a snap to customize depending on your preference; consider the spices as a mere suggestion, and a handful of nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit never hurt anything.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Additional Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Pound Crusty Bread
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Pinch Salt
1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
1 Tablespoons Dark Rum
1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger, Chopped Finely

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
First, slice your bread into 1 inch cubes, and set aside.
Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cornstarch, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl.
Once smooth and thoroughly combined, slowly drizzle in the non-dairy milk and rum, and stir until the mixture is homogeneous.
Toss in the bread cubes and crystallized ginger, and use a wide spatula to gently coat the bread with the pumpkin. Pour the lumpy mixture into your prepared pan, and smooth the pieces down into an even layer.
Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature for the liquids to soak in a bit, and then bake for 45 – 50 minutes. The edges should appear set, but the interior will remain quite soft and moist. Good bread pudding should be very moist, so be careful not to over bake it!
Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. You can either take the time to make nice, neat slices like I did, or just grab a large spoon and scoop it out onto plates. It will taste good no matter what, so it
doesn’t matter if it’s bit a ugly! Serve warm with caramel, whipped creme, or maybe even fudge sauce.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

October 27, 2008September 16, 2019

Hannah (BitterSweet)49 Comments

Frosted to the Nines

While some people may go crazy for cupcakes, I can’t help but be drawn to layer cakes instead. A marvel of both architecture and artistry, they allow for so much creativity; even amateur attempts are often more impressive than a handful of sloppily frosted cupcakes. I’ve written about my love of these colossal confections before, but now, you can see me demonstrate my favorite ways of assembling, icing, and serving these desserts. That’s right, coming up on November 1st in Boston, I’ll be demonstrating how to decorate layer cakes at this year’s VegFest. I’ll be there to sign copies of my cookbook, My Sweet Vegan, and perhaps sell some felt sweets all day, and then if you can stand to listen to me babble for 50 minutes while I smear some frosting on a cake, you get to eat a slice of it, too! Sound like a good deal? Good, I’ll see you there!

October 21, 2008October 29, 2008

Hannah (BitterSweet)38 Comments

Carb-Lovers, Unite!

I can’t fathom a world without bread. The foundation of many meals, this most basic staple is something that can elevate a ho-hum meal into something really special. I love everything about it- The taste, the smell, the texture, the way it must be kneaded and the way it rises by it’s own accord. It may surprise you since I’m so fond of creating desserts, but if I could only specialize in one baked good for the rest of time, I would choose to make bread.

Naturally, when I heard about the third World Bread Day, I was chomping at the bit to start a fresh loaf rising. Easy as it is to create, it always seems to be much more difficult to simply decide what kind to make! Pressed for time as it was, I settled on the first recipe that appealed, which happened to be Dakota Seed Bread. Why “Dakota”? I have no idea, but the hearty mixture of wholesome grains, wheat germ, and seeds sounded like the perfect bread to build a satisfying meal around.

But you know me; I can’t leave well enough alone, and my bread ended up with almost nothing in common with the original recipe. Substituting forbidden rice instead of wild, pepitas instead of sunflower seeds, and white whole wheat flour for almost all of the flour, not to mention omitting the dry milk altogether, it was an entirely different animal than the writers of Bon Appétit had intended. I’ve gotta tell you though, it was incredible.

Sure, it’s hard to go wrong with fresh, homemade bread in general, but this stuff was irresistible. Toothsome from all the add-ins, soft and tender crumb, with a strong but not brittle crust wrapped around it all, it definitely ranks near the top of my favorite breads. While I had planned on saving it to toast for breakfasts to come… I must sheepishly admit that I ate nearly the whole thing still hot from the oven, right then and there.

The black rice is more of a focal point in my loaf, coloring the interior an unexpected purplish hue, so I decided to name my version accordingly.

Yield: Makes 1 Loaf; 8 Servings

Forbidden Seed Bread

Toothsome from chewy whole grains and seeds mixed into a soft and tender crumb, with a strong but not brittle crust wrapped around it all, this might just be your new favorite loaf.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Uncooked Black Rice
1 1/4 Cups Warm Water, Divided
1 Tablespoon Light Agave Nectar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup Pepitas, Toasted
1/4 Cup Wheat Germ, Toasted
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Bread Flour

Instructions

In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil and add in the black rice. Cover, reduce heat all the way down to the lowest setting, and cook for 25 – 30 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Mix together the warm water and agave, and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the yeast has reawakened and become frothy, and then add in the cooked rice, white whole wheat flour, pepitas, wheat germ, and salt in large bowl. Stir well to combine, and once there are no more dry patches, slowly add in the bread flour at little bit at a time. It will still be very sticky, but don’t worry about it; it’s a rather wet dough which makes it a moist loaf.
Give it 15 minutes to rest before using a dough hook attachment to knead it in your mixer for 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and drop the dough into it. Toss it to coat, cover with plastic, and stash it in the fridge overnight for better flavor, or leave it out in a warm place for 1 hour if you want your bread the same day.
When you’re ready to bake the bread, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease an 8 x 4 loaf pan.
Grab your dough, and turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it briefly by hand, adding in more flour if necessary, and then press it out into a rough rectangle, keeping it the width of the loaf pan. Roll the rectangle up and drop it into the pan, seam-side down. Cover loosely with plastic for about 30 – 45 minutes, until it has risen to about the top of the pan. It’s a fairly short loaf in the end, so it won’t reach any great heights.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until evenly browned all over and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Give it 10 minutes before de-panning, and let cool on a wire rack. Try your hardest not to wolf it all down immediately!

The Kindness of Bloggers

Some of the nicest people you will ever meet, or at least share online communications with, are all bloggers. I don’t know how it happens, but every single blogger that I’ve come in contact with thus far has been thoughtful, encouraging, and generous to a fault. Take for example, Steph. We’ve played comment tag a few times, and in one particular message, I mentioned how curious I was about wattleseed, which she has used numerous times in many alluring recipes. It’s something of a specialty spice found only in Australia, and I had been dying to get my hands on it. Well, wouldn’t you know it, Steph was so kind as send a sachet of not only ground wattleseeds, but also whole, in addition to a bonus packet of lemon myrtle leaves. While the latter has yet to find its way into a dessert, I wasted no time in experimenting with this mysterious spice.

That isn’t to say that it was easy to pick out a final destination for those seeds. Oh no, I waffled over a myriad of recipes, debating whether they would be best baked, toasted, or frozen. Should it be a fruit dessert, or something purely sweet? Would a plain vanilla background be best to showcase it, or would it play well with others? Thankfully, there’s enough wattleseed to go around for a number of different applications, so this is only one of many to come.

Baked as squares just for a little change of pace, these tender muffins sport plump dried figs and candied pecans, in addition to the featured spice. While I ended up wishing I hadn’t gone so light on the wattleseed, trying to reserve them for other uses, the subtle flavor was truly a delight; adding in hints of coffee with a slightly nutty undertone, I don’t know why this wonderful spice isn’t more readily available in the states!

Plus, I’m a sucker for those little black specks- They remind me of vanilla beans, which I absolutely adore. I just wish I taking exact measurements and written them down, but alas, there’s no recipe to share this time around. It won’t be long before I use this incredible seed again though, all thanks to Steph!

Talk about perfect timing; it just so happened that the theme of this month’s Sugar High Friday is spices, so this is my entry!

October 13, 2008October 13, 2008

Hannah (BitterSweet)27 Comments

Ringing in a Sweet New Year

For someone who claims to love holidays so much, nearly forgetting about the Jewish new year is a rather shocking oversight. Indeed, whether it’s a testament to how much I have on my plate right now as far as projects go or my quickly diminishing memory, I cut it very close this time around.

Although I’m hardly religious and haven’t even been to temple once in the past seven years, I can still appreciate the significance of this commemoration; another chance to start fresh, and the opportunity to kick the year off on a sweet note, literally and figuratively. As a kid, my favorite part of this day would always be the traditional bowl of sliced apples placed at the center of the table, accompanied by a deep dish of amber honey. Of course, I would dive straight into the sea of gold syrup unencumbered by any of those “boring” apples, fingers knotted tightly together to shovel the sticky stuff straight into my mouth.

Having grown up a bit and matured (I hope) since then, the holiday has certainly become a less messy occasion, and instead of honey, I smother my crisp apples with agave. The thought of this simple pairing led me to contemplate other customary treats for Rosh Hashana, and it was no time before I hit upon the perfect thing to bring to dinner this year: Honey cake.

Not wanting to mislead, I would call this tender loaf a Rosh Hashana Cake instead, but for all any of my family knew, it was the original thing. Amber agave lends a slightly caramel-like sweetness, and that tiny drop of orange blossom water adds that tiny floral hint that honey always seems to carry. By adding a good deal of applesauce into the mix, you’ve got the two staples of the holiday right there in one easy to make cake, and with a thick slice after dinner or even for breakfast, it’s almost a guarantee that this new year will be a sweet one.

Yield: Makes 8 - 10 Servings

Rosh Hashana Cake

Amber agave lends a slightly caramel-like sweetness, and that tiny drop of orange blossom water adds that tiny floral hint that honey always seems to carry. By adding a good deal of applesauce into the mix, you’ve got the two staples of the holiday right there in one easy to make cake, and with a thick slice after dinner or even for breakfast, it’s almost a guarantee that this new year will be a sweet one.

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Amber Agave Nectar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Orange Blossom Water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9 x 5 greased loaf pan.
Sift together both flours, baking powder and soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate dish, measure out the oil, agave, applesauce, vanilla, vinegar, and orange blossom water, whisking thoroughly to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry via the “muffin method,” and stir the mixture together using as few strokes as possible to prevent over mixing. Once the batter is smooth and no pockets of wet or dry ingredients remain and pour into your prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Since agave causes baked goods to brown much faster than sugar, cover your pan after it’s been in the oven for about 35 minutes to prevent it from becoming too dark.
When it’s done, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Let it cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Lavish Lavash

For the first time in Daring Baker history, we were all been handed one unique challenge that required absolutely no modifications to make it vegan, or even gluten-free, if you so desired. Finally, hundreds of skilled and passionate bakers putting down the butter and eggs to make a vegan treat! Exciting as that prospect sounded, I have to admit I wasn’t crazy about the idea of making lavash crackers. After all, crackers are crackers, and how hard is it to make crunchy, unleavened bread? Thus, I made my first critical error of underestimating this seemly simple recipe.

You see, I had never made crackers with yeast before- And why would you? Most crackers are more like savory cookies, sometimes with a pinch of baking powder or soda thrown in to lighten things up, but certainly not enough to give the dough lift. Unaccustomed to this extra element, I’m certain I let those unbaked diamonds sit for too long and therefore let them begin to rise. As a result, my crackers came out puff, crisp on the outside, but slightly soft on the inside; Much more like toasted pita bread than delicate crackers, crunchy through and though.

Such care that is necessary to go into these most basic snacks! Sadly, this was already my second attempt, having failed miserably to make my original batch gluten-free, and I wasn’t about to start it for a third time. With the oven tied up by innumerable batches of cupcakes and muffins for events, this semi-soft biscuit would have to do. Luckily, it tasted pretty darn good, despite its textural flaws. Flavored with toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, and a generous pinch of garlic powder, it hardly needed any accompaniment to be enjoyed.

Of course, the challenge also called for a dip to go alongside these savory morsels, so I decided to pair my crackers with a caramelized onion dip. Dead simple and endlessly versatile, this ended up being my favorite aspect of the assignment. Whether it was spread on toast or mashed into a twice baked potato, this stuff was worth slogging through the uncooperative crackers, and then some.

With a base of tofu, it even has decent nutritional value, and far more protein than your average onion dip. Give it a try; even if the crackers aren’t the best, you won’t even know when you dip them in this!

Yield: 8 Servings

Caramelized Onion Dip

Classic caramelized onion dip gets a new life with a creamy, dairy-free base.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 Medium Onions, Diced
3 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper, to Taste
1 12-Ounce Package Extra-Firm Silken Tofu
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast

Instructions

Set a saute pan over medium heat and begin by melting the butter. Add in the oil once the butter is liquefied, and then dump in all of the onion, tossing to coat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to cook gently for 40 – 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Incorporate the spices and salt, cooking for an additional 10 minutes until amber brown and nicely caramelized. Slide the onions out onto a plate and let cool.
Pull out your food processor and completely puree the tofu, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary so that there are no lumps remaining. Blend in the mustard, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Finally, add the caramelized onions, and pulse to combine, making sure not to over do it so that you still have nice chunks of onions.
Transfer the dip into an air-tight container, and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld together and intensify. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 84Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 319mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

September 27, 2008February 19, 2019

Hannah (BitterSweet)63 Comments