17 January 2008

Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Molasses Tea Bread

Post 1 of 2 - I will be back later once I taste the bread!

So as I previously mentioned, I recently purchased the two new Martha Stewart cookbooks that contain recipes from Martha Stewart Living. I decided to whip up a quick bread tonight using one of the many recipes that caught my eye in Volume 2: The New Classics. This Pumpkin Molasses Tea Bread is pushed over the top with a Honeyed Cream Cheese Frosting. I had nearly all the ingredients on hand to make this out of the pantry, and I think my substitutions will work out nicely.

I love quick breads because they are just that - quick. When I am not in the mood for cookies or sweets, a nice fruited quick bread often quells my baking urges. Fortunately for my waistline, my co-workers are happy to be my taste-testers. I do enjoy baked goods, but I don't need them in my house all the time! One of my co-workers has recently been commenting that I have only been bringing in cookies lately- what happened to all the breads? Well, I am going to surprise her tomorrow with a bread! She recently started working quite a bit with my department, and I have to keep her happy so she is ready when I need her!

As usual, I will show my changes to the recipe in parentheses.

Pumpkin Molasses Tea Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: Volume 2 The New Classics

Makes 1 nine inch loaf

We used apple juice to sweeten the bread, but this recipe is equally tasty made with orange juice or cranberry juice.

Soft butter, for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cooked Pumpkin Puree, or canned (I used canned)
2 Tbs apple juice (I used orange juice)
1/2 cup roughly chopped dried cranberries (I used a combo of raisins and sultanas)
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan; set aside. In a med bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat molasses, sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and apple juice. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Fold in cranberries, and walnuts. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, and bake until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake sit for about 10 min. and then turn the bread out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
3. While bread cools, make frosting. Combine cream cheese, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth and well combined. Once bread is completely cooled, spread top with frosting. Serve.

2 comments:

Laura said...

You had me at honey cream cheese. :)

Karen said...

Josie,
This sounds so good! How did it turn out? I just bought four cans of pumpkin puree so I would be motivated to include pumpkin in my recipes more. It's been getting such high marks as a superfood recently. Today I just needed chocolate, so I combined one can of pumpkin puree with one Whole Foods organic brownie mix. The puree replaced the eggs, milk and oil the mix called for....the result: divine. Can't wait to hear how your bread turned out!

And thank you so much for adding my site to your blogroll. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Karen