Middle of the Summer pre-Fall craving …SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD w/CINNAMON ICING

Middle of the Summer pre-Fall craving …SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD w/CINNAMON ICING

Middle of the Summer pre-Fall craving… that is all I really can call this bread.  To me, there is nothing that says fall better than pumpkin and cinnamon.   For some people, seasons come to mind as represented by specific colors… Fall - browns and golds, Winter - green and red, Spring - any of the pastels and Summer - bright pink and green or red, white & blue.  In my mind, all seasons have certain smells attached to my memories them….. it’s all about the scent. Fall would be pumpkin and cinnamon, Winter - ginger and orange, Spring - flowers and strawberries, and Summer - peaches, melons and pina colada suntan lotion J. 

So why am I making pumpkin bread in August?  Well…. I happened to go to the mall and yep, they had the Halloween stuff up!   I got this big whiff of cinnamon……. hmmm… just couldn’t get that scent out of my mind.  I caved …. and made the best tasting pumpkin bread ever!!  It completely satisfied the craving for those fall flavors. The pumpkin bread is moist and the spices I added give it that great fall flavor.  It’s topped with a light icing that adds just the right amount of extra sweetness, since the pumpkin bread is not super sweet.

I will definitely be making this again…. but maybe I can make it to September next time.   I hope you enjoy this pre-fall flavor bread - SPICED PUMPKIN BREAD w/ CINNAMON ICING -  it’s delicious. 

Happy Cooking Everyone!

       Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

½  cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup half and half

15oz canned solid pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cinnamon

      Icing

1 ¼ cups powder sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon half and half

¼ cup of sliced almonds

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1. Line a loaf pan with foil. Spray with cooking oil and set aside.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix brown sugar, beaten eggs, vegetable oil and half and half.

3. Add the pumpkin and mix till all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon.

5. Create a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the pumpkin mixture.  Mix till blended but do not over mix. It is ok if the batter is a bit lumpy.

6. Pour contents into the foiled pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, till middle is completely set (not wet)

7. Cool for about 1 hour.  While bread is cooling make the icing.

8. Icing: mix powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, half and half .  Mix until the icing is smooth. 

9. Once the bread has cooled, pour icing on top and sprinkle with almonds.  The icing will harden as it cools, but if you just cannot wait, go ahead …. cut a slice …. and enjoy!!!