Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts: The Footnote

Somehow, after baking a pie, cheesecake, and cookies, a mound of unused pumpkin still sat in a tupperware container in my fridge. Granted, it was a rather small mound, less than half of a cup, but still… You’d think I’d have used it all up! (Especially since I made both the pie and a second cheesecake for Thanksgiving #3…) As it taunted me, the expiration dates of a few other ingredients begged to be used too. And who am I to refuse a baking opportunity?  

 

Staring at pumpkin, yogurt, milk, and an apple, I realized that typing these items into Google would probably result in some insane recipes. Not like my plan was much better: throw a bunch of stuff in a mixing bowl, keep adding until it reached a batter-like consistency, and pour it into a loaf plan. Sounded like a downright disaster to me…

 

But my 350° oven worked its magic to produce a beautifully moist quick bread. With its lovely autumn flavors, I plan on baking a loaf whenever my nose turns red from the fall chill and not just when I find leftover pumpkin in my fridge.

 

 

Harvest Bread

serves 10-12

For a more pronounced pumpkin flavor, substitute more pumpkin purée for some of the yogurt. Serve at room temp or heat it for a bit in the microwave.

⅓ c. pumpkin purée

1 c. yogurt (Greek nonfat vanilla)

¼ c. milk

½ c. light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 c. whole-wheat flour

½ c. all-purpose flour

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 green apple, peeled and diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly coat a 9×5” loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg). In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour through baking soda). Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just until incorporated. Gently fold in the apple.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350° for 40 min uncovered. Remove from the oven, put tin foil on top, and continue baking covered for an additional 10-15 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 min in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.