Show a little love!

I have been obsessively listening to the weather these last few days — I don’t know why. What have I learned — it’s the coldest day in three years.  This makes me want to cook — I don’t know why.  So here is the fruit of my labor:  Perfect Pumpkin Bread.  I found this recipe in “The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook”, written by Barbara Grunes.

1/2 cup shelled roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), 1/12 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes.  Ad the eggs and beat until blended.  Blend in the pumpkin.  Beat in the flour mixture.  Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the pepitas.  Bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the bread for 5 minutes, then remove from loaf pan and cool on wire rack.

I substituted King Arthur whole wheat white flour for the all-purpose flour and it was great.

Keep warm and remember — “Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” – Harriet Van Horne, Vogue 1956-