Pumpkin Bread Season

It's been rather rainy in San Francisco lately. But not a harsh cold Winter rain, rather a spotty cool Fall rain. It spoke to me this past Monday afternoon, it whispered, "make Pumpkin Bread." So I listened. After all, it is Pumpkin Bread season.

This is my third post on SLS (My Grandpa made up this abbreviation. I quite like it)of the same Pumpkin Bread. Why? Because it is simply the best: moist and light, not too sweet, with a melody of warm spices that bring out the best a pumpkin has to offer. To soil it with some sort of mix-in would be outlandish.

However, there is one change I made this year. The addition of Hard Sauce to spread on top, which I renamed Hardcore Sauce quickly after tasting it. You see Hard Sauce is a combo of butter, powdered sugar and some sort of alcohol. 

In this case the recipe called for bourbon, and a lot of it. Which if fine because you only spread a little bit on the bread, but it sure does add a kick! In a good way of course.

If you don't like the taste of hard alcohol, just stick to the Pumpkin Bread. But if you do or kind of do, it is an amazing addition and kinda classes it up. 

Here is the link to my (Tartine's) Pumpkin Bread recipe. The Hardcore Sauce recipe follows.

Hardcore Sauce

adapted from Tartine

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 cup (4oz) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan over very low heat until smooth. No need to get it hot, the heat if just to help the smoothing process along.
2. Serve at room temp on top of the bread. Store in the fridge for up to a week or two after. You can use leftovers on top of pie, cake or ice cream!

"I would like to par-take of your pum-kin breeeeead"

Fall means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but I think one thing every "good American" can agree on is that fall means school supplies, falling leaves, movies like When Harry Met Sally, scarves, coats and of course pumpkin flavored treats. You know it's true; from Starbucks to Jamba Juice every place comes out with some pumpkin inspired goodie around this time of year. But what can top the most popular pumpkin treat of them all? (Well maybe second most popular to pumpkin pie) I speak of pumpkin bread my blogees. I made my first batch two night ago to bring to my little brother's homecoming football game (does it get any "fallier" than that?) and I must say the flavor of pumpkin laced with undertones of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves not only warmed my tummy but also my heart.


Here is the mighty fine pumpkin bread recipe I used. It is delicious and it comes from the Tartine cookbook, so you know you can trust me when I say it is delicious! Simple to make and and not overly complicated in flavor, this is a recipe you should definitely give a shot.

I recommend following the weight measurements on the right where applicable if you have a food scale, if not the standard cups and spoons will work fine too.

Ingredients
All-purpose flour 1 & 2/3 C or 8oz
Baking powder 1 & 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Ground cinnamon 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
Ground nutmeg 2 tsp
Ground cloves 1/4 tsp
Pumpkin Puree 1 C + 2 tbsp or 9oz
Vegetable oil 1 C
Sugar 1 & 1/3 C or 9.5oz
Salt 3/4 tsp
Large eggs 3
Sugar for topping 2 tbsp

1. Preheat oven to 325, lightly butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in mixing bowl
3. In another mixing bowl beat together pumpkin puree, oil, sugar and salt on medium speed or by hand (whisk attachment of standing mixer or whisk) until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat untill just combined (don't over mix!) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on med speed for 5-10 seconds. The batter should be a thick puree.
5. Transfer the batter to loaf pan and sprinkle it evenly with sugar. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about an hour. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 min, than invert the loaf on cooling rack and flip it right side up again. Serve as is or with homemade bourbon whip cream!