Pumpkin Cheese Bread

For Thanksgiving I thought I would try a new bread. I wanted to a yeast bread, but of course it's the time for pumpkin. A pumpkin bread that's not a quick bread is kind of unusual, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to try it! And it was delish!!!! I forgot to take a picture of it since it was Thanksgiving and I was super busy but here's the recipe!!

Pumpkin Cheese Bread

3¾ cup flour

1 tbsp light brown sugar

1 pkg yeast

1¼ tsp salt

1 dash cayenne pepper

¾ cup pumpkin puree

4 oz shredded sharp Cheddar

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large egg

1. In a large bowl, stir together 3½ cups flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and cayenne.
2. Add 1 cup water, pumpkin, and cheese; stir to combine. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth ball. (Add up to ¼ cup more flour if needed.)
4. Sprinkle a large bowl with flour and add ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
5. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
6. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and use hands to flatten to a rectangle, about 9 by 10 inches.
7. Roll dough into a log and place seam-side down in loaf pan.
8. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 1 to 1¼ hours.
9. Preheat oven to 375°. Using a sharp knife, slash the loaf down the center.
10. Brush loaf with egg wash.
11. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 50 minutes.
12. Turn out of pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Come winter I wanted some gingerbread. I talked to Eric about this and he wanted me to find a recipe that was from scratch.  From scratch? I wasn’t really sure what that meant… Hmm… Well, then I thought, “Who could be more “from scratch” than Martha Stewart?” So off to the Internet I went looking for a gingerbread recipe from Martha Stewart, and then I found this one. It is incredible! YUM! I love it!! I’ve made it several times because it just disappears! YUM!!! And it's not just me that loves it! Yerlan and Sultan also love it! I can't wait until Yerlan makes it and sends me a picture! :) 

Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Martha Stewart

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

1 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup unsulfured molasses

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

 

BAKING PAN: 9”-x-13” cake pan, buttered and floured

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Cut into squares; dust with confectioners’ sugar.