Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread

It's now officially Fall. That means chili, mocha, cloves, tea, and of course, pumpkin. I have had two cans of pumpkin in my pantry that I never got to use last season, so I decided to put one to good use in a new pumpkin bread recipe last night. It uses all whole wheat flour, which gives it a beautiful dark earthy color--not at all like the food-coloring orange of most pumpkin-flavored baked goods I see in stores--and the streaks of dark chocolate just add to the rustic effect. 

This is one of the spiciest fall quick breads I've tried. It uses as much ground cloves as it does ground cinnamon (1/2 tsp. each) and the smell just sneaks up on you while it's baking. It's almost like gingerbread the way you start feeling warmer and cozier before you realize that you notice the spicy-sweet smell. Once again, another reason I love having a desk next to the kitchen. This is a great afternoon bread, I'd venture to say better with tea around 3 or 4 o'clock than with coffee for breakfast. And believe it or not, it's healthy. Check after the recipe for some nutrition info., but honestly, you can tell (in a good way) just by biting into it that you're putting good calories into your body. Pumpkin, whole wheat, dark chocolate, pecans--talk about fiber, protein, and vitamins! 

I think my baking powder is at the end of its shelf life, otherwise this bread might have risen higher. Time to try a new one--aluminum-free Rumsford, instead of Clabber Girl. We'll see if there's a difference in taste or effectiveness. Edna Lewis suggests this one in The Taste of Country Cooking, though, so I'm inclined to listen.

I finally have something in my cake dome. Yup, it's definitely Fall.

Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Bread

(adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking)

2 cups (8 oz.) whole wheat flour (white or traditional)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.

1 cup (7 1/2 oz.) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz.) granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup (9 1/2 oz.) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup chopped nuts

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or raisins or dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5-in. loaf pan.

In a medium bow, whisk together the flour, soda, powder, salt, and spices.

Cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl (I prefer the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spoon, mixing until just moistened. Add the nuts and chocolate chips, and fold in only until evenly distributed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge to loosen the loaf. Turn the bread out of the pan and place it on the rack to cool completely before slicing or storing.

Makes about 16 slices.

And in case you're wondering, each slice has 15 grams of whole grains (a little over a fourth of your daily needs) and 3 grams of fiber. My friends told me to stop telling them this before the recipe--I thought it was cool, but they said it made it less appetizing. Fiber counts aren't sexy? Really?