I prefer desserts that strike the right balance between novelty and simplicity. As a pastry chef in San Francisco, my desserts were once described in the San Francisco Magazine as “homey” and “soul-satisfying”, so it is no surprise that I gravitate towards recipes that conjure up images of childhood, flecked with a bit more imagination.
Especially stellar ones, like this pumpkin-walnut bread that are moist, full of spice and not too sweet. I obviously also love it because it is dairy-free and comes together almost effortlessly. Canned pumpkin is fine in this recipe, if you are feeling more adventurous you can roast your own pumpkin (or winter squash) and use that instead. I give instructions on how to do that here.
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Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Adapted from Gourmet
- Yield: 1 Loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup (9 ounces) pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Grease a 9 x 5in loaf pan and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs , water, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until blended and smooth. Add walnuts and stir to incorporate. Use a spatula to scrape into prepared pan and smooth top.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, until bread is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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