The Great Pumpkin Bake-Off

At the moment there’s a slight nip in the air come evening time and the sun is setting earlier in the sky….a sure sign that Autumn/Fall has arrived.

 

I just love this time of year and the bounty of glorious food that comes with it…hand-sized onions, giant marrows, big-as-a-fist bell peppers and striped squash in all their radiant colours. None excite me much more than the pumpkin. Its festive orange skin, swollen middle and bright-orange flesh just begs to be roasted, cooked and pureed into soups and made into pies.

 

This year seems to have produced a bumper crop and so I have had something of a big bake-off this week in the bariatric kitchen. I’ve made some gloriously smooth soups flavoured with herbs, tomatoes and just a hint of cheese; baked a fabulous no-crust pumpkin pie the recipe for which I will post nearer to Hallow’een; and a very moreish fruity and spiced pumpkin bread or tea loaf that hits the spot when you fancy a slice of something sweet.

 

It uses plain pumpkin puree (simply cook pumpkin until tender, drain very well if necessary, then whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth) or take a can of pure pumpkin (I used the Libby’s brand). The recipe uses 1/2 can so it’s the perfect excuse to make 2 loaves and give one as a treat to a friend or freeze the other for a winter afternoon treat further down the road into winter.

 

It’s a wonderfully moist bread that keeps well in an airtight tin, wrapped in foil … if it stays around that long. I’ve also served it with a little low-fat and low-sugar custard as a pudding …somewhat like a ginger sponge. Delicious!

 

This recipe has also been submitted in the 1st edition Tiendeo competition ‘Seasonal Recipes’ see http://www.tiendeo.co.uk/Camberley since it is a great Autumn recipe using seasonal pumpkin and rich, warming spices.

 

 

FRUITY AND SPICY PUMPKIN TEA BREAD

 

Ingredients

Metric/US

low-fat cooking spray

175g/13/4 cups plain/all purpose flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp low-fat spread or light butter

12 tbsp/3/4 cup Splenda granulated sweetener

3 tbsp/1/4 cup olive oil

225g/1 cup pureed unsweetened pumpkin or 1/2 x 425-g/15-oz can pure pumpkin

2 large eggs

100 ml/1/2 cup water

50g/1/3 cup raisins

 

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 C/350F/gas mark 4. Generously spritz a 22 x 11 x 6-cm/81/2 x 41/2 x 21/2-inch loaf tin/pan with low-fat cooking spray and line the base with greaseproof/waxed paper.

2.  Mix the flour with the bicarbonate of soda/baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.

3.  Whisk the low-fat spread or light butter with the sweetener (using an electric beater), until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4.  Blend the oil and pumpkin into the butter mixture and then the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

5.  Slowly add the flour mixture with the water, then fold in the raisins. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin/pan.

6.  Bake in the oven for 60-75 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (not sticky with mixture). Allow to stand for 10 minutes in the tin/pan then turn out to cool on a wire rack until completely cold. Slice to serve.

 

SERVES  16

WLS PORTION: 1/2-1

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 104

PROTEIN: 2.5g

CARBOHYDRATE: 12.6g

FAT: 5g