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

[LoveFeast Table]

This really looks, as my two year old says, dewicious!!

[Nicole]

Mmmm...chai bread. Love "piss on me fireworks" ha!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

The bread looks really moist and delicious, and just perfect with pumpkin butter!

[Bianca]

Sounds wonderful, and a nice treat on a cool fall day. Yes, even in California! :-)

[Hilary]

I saw pumpkin butter all over Vermont the other week. I'd never had it before either but I assumed it's like apple butter (ie. not butter-like at all.)

[Jessie]

I would love to have a slice of this right now. pumpkin butter or spread it's still delicious either way!

[Eliana]

This has fall written all over it. I love the bread and butter combo so much I am going to have to try this muy pronto!

[food librarian]

Looks very very very delicious and just screams "fall"!

[ABowlOfMush]

Glad you liked the chai pumpkin bread idea :) Looks great!

[ingrid]

Okay, two loaves you're got more than you can handle so wrap some of that baby up and send it to me! I'll handle the spread, er butter myself!

Btw, I appreciate the compliments but I'm double AA compared to your major league baking and cooking! :)
~ingrid

[Jill]

It looks delicious, and so appropriate for fall. I didn't know you could buy chai spice!

[jenn]

Ooo...I want to try that butter. A warm slice of that bread and a generous spread of the butter. Awesome breakfast or snack right there.

[Jen]

Guys are too funny with accurate descriptions of food. My husband has renamed many dishes. In my house we don't have fra diavolo - it's "spicy seafood pasta" and chicken scarpariello is "Chinese chicken pasta" ( I thicken the sauce with corn starch, hence the Chinese) :) The bread and butter look so good! I will be on vacation a few days next week - so I'll have time to bake. Thanks!

[AmyRuth]

You are so cute....I grew up eating a "slather" called apple butter on my morning toast or biscuits. (for breakfast) You can make it as you made the pumpkin butter, or you can buy it in a jar in the jelly section of the store. You probably already know this. Anyway, yea, its is super yummy on your bread with or without peanut butter. he he Your recipes and pumpkin butter are appreciated. I'm glad to know about them both, cuz I loves pumpkin and well short of the carbs I likes bread too. So, thanks Teanna.
AmyRuth

[Michele]

Both look awesome Teanna. I love fruit butters--pumpkin in particular.

[grace]

mah-velous idea, combining pumpkin bread and pumpkin butter. great treat, captain. :)

[Caitlin]

There's nothing wrong with being Captain Obvious - I think it should be considered a higher calling. And pumpkin butter is abso-freaking-lutely fantastic stuff. That statement might have turned me into Captain Obvious though.....

[Shandy]

I have made pear butter, peach butter, apple butter but never pumpkin butter; and the chai pumpkin bread...absolutely delicious...! My tastebuds want to know what this combination tastes like and I just bought 2 sugar pumpkins.

[Caitlin]

This looks really good! Anything involving pumpkin is good for me!

Oh and about the Coldstone cupcakes..I did try them and was not impressed either. I will stick to their ice cream!

[sophia]

Hi Teanna! I think that gorgeous, lovely-smelling bread has my name written all over it. Come on, 'fess up, you made that for me! Now, my address is....;-)