Chai Spiced Bread with Pumpkin Butter

I think Top Chef was on hiatus last week for some unknown reason.  That, or my DVR went on hiatus, but I am going to believe the former.  So that means no Top Chef post this week.  Instead, I'm posting some bread.  Some nice bread that doesn't have 8,000 ingredients that doesn't take all day to make.  Holla for hiatuses.

Talk about a fall dessert in a bread. Earthy, sweet pumpkin is flavored with the delicious and complex flavors of cinnamon, ginger, star anise, black pepper and cloves from the chai tea.  The bread is unbelievably moist, and incredibly versatile, as I also made a healthy version with applesauce, which was equally as moist and delicious, but a little more dense. The smells that wafted through my apartment when this bread was baking were heavenly.  It was as if fall was sucked from the air outside and found a home in my apartment for the hour that the bread cooked in the oven. 

This bread comes together so quickly... which I guess why it must be considered a quick bread. And I am apparently Captain Obvious. Reporting to duty.

I made some pumpkin butter to pair with the bread.  I have never tried or tasted pumpkin butter, or apple butter for that matter, so I really wasn't sure what the ingredients were or what the consistency would be like.  I found a great recipe on Smitten Kitchen's website and went forward with my butter making conquest.

Oddly enough (to me), it did not turn to butter.  The consistency was more like a very thick applesauce. I was confused but it was delicious, so I decided to go with it.  It was sweet and creamy and wonderfully spiced, and the best part was that there was actually no butter so I wouldn't feel bad about eating it.  By the spoonful.

When Jack got home from work, I handed him a piece of bread slathered with the pumpkin butter.  He took a bite and looked at me quizzically. 

"This isn't butter." he said, accusingly.

"Yeah, I know. It's pumpkin butter.  It's pumpkin..."  I attempted to find a better way to explain it to him. "...butter."  Attempt failed. "But is it good?"  I asked, hopefully.

"Well, yeah it's good, but it's false advertising.  If this were called a pumpkin spread, I wouldn't have been expecting butter." Now he's Captain Obvious.

I let it go.  Yes, he had a point, but I didn't want him to, as the British say, "Piss on me fireworks."  The bread is wonderfully moist and flavorful, the spread butter smooth and spicy.  A perfect match.

Like bread and butter.

Check out Smitten Kitchen for the Pumpkin Butter Recipe.

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bread: adapted from A Bowl of Mush

To make the healthy version of this bread, substitute the butter for 1/2 cup applesauce.  Also, I found that the healthier version took longer to cook, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
(makes 1 loaf)

1/2 cup butter (softened) (***or 1/2 cup applesauce)

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 can of pumpkin puree

2 black tea bags steeped in 1/4 cup hot milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon Chai Spice (optional.  The McCormick brand sells this at the supermarket.)

pinch of black pepper

pinch of all spice

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the pumpkin puree and the milky tea (make sure the tea has completely cooled before adding).  Set aside

In another bowl mix together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add the spices and whisk to incorporate.

Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mix and gently fold until just combined.  Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. 

Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350F (for the healthier version, you may need to bake longer, up to 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you don't want the bread to brown any more, tent some aluminum foil over the top.)

Comments

[Mike]

I'm grabbing chai spice at the store today. A first for me! Thanks for posting such a GREAT Fall recipe! Excited to "try the chai"! Looks absolutely delicious!

[Nooschi]

Mmm..that looks so good. I've always wondered what pumpkin butter tastes like. Thanks for the recipe! Love your recipes and Top Chef posts.

[WEndy]

I remember you tweeting about this...I'm just now catching up on blog reading. TG for google reader. This sounds so amazing. Love chai and pumpkin butter sounds yummy.

[Ashley]

Mmm love pumpkin and love chai! This sounds awesome.

[Leslie]

Yum! This sounds like a delightful combination.

Top Chef was on last week (though I don't think it was new), and thanks to you, I caught it. I read the title for your deconstructed mole post and realized GOOD GRIEF! THERE'S A NEW SEASON OF TOP CHEF! slammed my laptop and stormed off to find out why my Tivo hadn't brought that to my attention. And I discovered there was something called Top Chef Masters, too, which I totally missed. So thanks very much, and sorry I didn't leave a comment on that post but I didn't read it for fear of a spoiler.

[CarolPeterman]

Apple-butter is false advertising too.

[The Duo Dishes]

Mmmm pumpkin butter! Up there with apple and pear butter.

[Crystal]

Mmmmmmm. can't wait to try it. I am a new fan am LOVE reading your blog.

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