The Great Pumpkin

Happy Halloween everyone!  I hope you all enjoy this time to celebrate with Jack O' Lanterns, Costumes, Candy, and Trick or Treating as well.  I love this time of year, anytime to step out of the ordinary and celebrate the extraordinary actually.  In preparation for a busy afternoon and evening I made some soups: Chicken Matzo Ball and Green Potato.  What could be better to accompany these than some sweet and spicy Pumpkin Bread?

And I had a thought.  Why not combine two of my favorite things from this time of year: Pumpkin and Chai?  Today is just the day to give it a try.  Instead of using the standard spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, I'm going to substitute a very spicy Chai blend.

All that's stopping me from this task is waiting on another egg.  Maybe if I bribe the girls with their own pumpkin celebration I'll get that egg earlier??????

 

 Pumpkin Chai Bread

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar OR LESS
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chai blend  OR 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts OR MORE

1 Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs,  and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Can easily double the recipe.