Photo by Tara Shain.
Growing up, quick breads were a staple in my family. Something that quite possibly could be said about every other family in every other town across the Midwestern United States.
Each year as soon as it got cool enough to use the oven, my granny would begin the annual baking marathon that lasted until the weather turned hot again. Among the countless trays of cookies, cakes and pies was a seemingly endless supply of some kind of quick bread or another—especially around Christmas time. For weeks in advance my granny would save tin food cans to later use as miniature baking tins. That way when she needed to bring something to the weekly church social or went around to someone's house for coffee she had a selection of small loaves to bring with her.
Tastes Like Home
Along with other seasonal baked goods, these "mini breads" also made their way into the Christmas boxes she gifted to friends, family, neighbors, the mail man, the mechanic, the grocer, the boy who mowed her lawn or anyone else she could "guilt" into accepting her generosity.
At home, banana bread was nearly always on the table, and it was regularly accompanied by other varieties including lemon poppy, zucchini, chocolate, orange or pumpkin. These cake-like loaves remind me of my granny's kitchen and taste like home, so I can't imagine that I will ever tire of making them.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour*
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. powdered ginger
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup baked pumpkin (sweet potato or squash can be substituted)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ⅓ cup raisins, chopped dates or figs (optional)
METHOD
- Have all ingredients at room temperature before you begin. Butter one standard loaf pan or two small loaf pans (mine are 5 cm x 10 cm) and line with baking parchment. Place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
- In one medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, powdered ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves. Set aside.
- Separately, combine the milk and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the butter in a large bowl and beat until creamy, about one minute.
- Gradually beat in the sugars; once mixed, beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, three to four minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
- Add pumpkin purée and beat on low until just blended.
- Either by hand or with your mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the milk mixture in two parts. Gently fold in the nuts and dried fruit if using.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan(s)—batter will be very thick!
- Bake about one hour, until it passes the "toothpick test." Once done, let it cool in the pan then remove from the pan to allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
*If you don't have whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour works perfectly well, making the texture lighter and more cake-like.
Pumpkin, Sweet Potato or Squash?
I often substitute baked sweet potato for the pumpkin in this recipe because I always seem to have some hanging out in the fridge waiting to be made into something else. Just keep in mind that when you swap pumpkin for sweet potato your end result will taste sweeter because sweet potatoes have nearly three times as much natural sugar as pumpkin.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
The recipe makes approximately 900 g, with the nutritional value per 100 g listed below. I get about 10 slices from each of my small loaf pans, making each slice about 45 g.
Nutritional value, per 100 g (as written above using pumpkin, walnuts and dates):
Calories: 298, Fat: 13.4 g, Saturated fat: 5.6 g, Cholesterol: 68.7 mg, Sodium: 490.1 mg, Potassium: 182.6 mg, Carbohydrates: 44.8 g, Fiber: 2.7 g, Sugars: 25.1 g, Protein: 5.3 g