Pumpkin Mini-Bread Trio
This versatile recipe makes a trio of holiday mini-breads, perfect for entertaining, gifts, or a special breakfast. Each bread features a different fruit or nut added to one basic batter. If you prefer to keep it simple, all you need to do is triple one of the added ingredients and use in all three loaves.
Prep: 50 minutes
Bake: 33-35 minutes
Bake at: 325°
Makes: 3 mini-loaves
Pan: three 5x2-inch mini-loaf pans
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients:
Streusel Topping (optional):
1/4 cup (53g) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, cold
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Bread #1:1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Bread #2:1/3 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Bread #3:1/3 cup tart apple, peeled and grated (1/2 small McIntosh apple)1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Batter:
1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup (102g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (107g) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
Cooking spray
Butter or mascarpone cheese for spreading, if desired
Directions:
Bring eggs and yolk to room temperature.
To make streusel topping (if desired): In a small bowl, combine dark brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until particles are fine. Stir in finely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until needed.
Begin by preparing nut and fruit additions. Chop the walnuts and set aside. Coarsely chop cranberries and set aside. Peel and grate the apple (avoiding core), mix with lemon juice, and set aside. If you want to avoid browning, grate the apple at the last minute before adding to batter and omit the lemon juice.
Pre-heat the oven to 325°.
To make batter: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat together sugar, dark brown sugar, and oil. Add eggs and yolk one at a time and beat until light. Add pumpkin puree and beat to combine. Stir in flour mixture by hand in 2 additions until just incorporated.
Prepare mini-bread pans with cooking spray. Place 1 cup of the batter into a medium bowl. Add walnuts and stir to combine. Spoon into one of the bread pans. Repeat with cranberries and then apple, using the same mixing bowl. Divide any remaining batter evenly between pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle each loaf with streusel topping, if using.
Place on the diagonal on the middle rack with several inches between pans. Bake 33-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in all 3 loaves. Cool loaves in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan and turn out loaves on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature and spread slice with butter or room temperature mascarpone cheese, if desired.
Wrap and store bread for 3 days. Freeze wrapped loaves for 2 weeks.
Tips:
- You can use other nuts, fresh or dried fruits. If you use very juicy fruit such as fresh pear, you might have to bake that loaf for a few additional minutes.
- You can replace pumpkin pie spice with 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.