I’m referring to the smell of fall in the kitchen of course! Here in northern California, it’s almost the end of summer and it’s still blazing hot in the afternoon…but that doesn’t stop me from being excited for fall!
I love the signs of the changes of season. Just a couple days ago, I noticed Safeway already putting out candy and decorations for Halloween! It seems not too long ago that we did pumpkin carving at an after-fellowship. I like how the leaves begin to change into colors of the sunset and the feeling of the cool and crisp morning air. I get this excited feeling knowing that the holidays are coming up and a lot of people will be all jolly and bustling around – a nice change from the bumming around of summer (not that I don’t like bumming around, but I can’t stay like this for too long lol). Most of all, fall makes me think of baked goods! Apple pies, sweet potato pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, gingerbread cookies, and so much more! Gahhh I really want some sweet potato pie now! 😦 I think it’s the smell of all the different spices that just makes you feel so good inside.
On that note, yesterday I made some yummy pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins! The kitchen smelled SO good. Sometimes I wish bread didn’t take so long to bake so I could gobble it up after it cools. Anyway, this is my go-to recipe when making pumpkin bread. It has a bazillion reviews on the website! I decided to make one loaf and use the rest of the batter to make some muffins and popped a few chocolate chips in each one to add some extra special sweetness. I find that quick breads like this tastes way better the next day because the flavors melds together overnight and becomes more delicious.
Pumpkin Bread and/or Pumpkin Muffins
adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans or you or loaf pan and a 12 cup muffin pan. (Grease them well!)
- In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, vanilla extract and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
- For the muffins, stir in chocolate chips to the batter and pour into the pans. You can fill them a little more than ¾ full.
- Bake for about 50 (mine baked for 65-70 minutes) minutes and 25-30 minutes for the muffins in the preheated oven. Loaves (and muffins) are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely. Tastes better overnight!