Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Pumpkin Beer Bread

Brunch Dishes

We’ve been all about beer lately. Apolinaras has recently gotten into home brewing and just proudly sealed 40 bottles of Oak-Aged Baltic Porter last night. It’s supposed to age for at least a month before it’s really ready, but I snuck a couple sips of the green stuff and am already impressed – it was really good. It’s very cute to see him be as passionate as me in the kitchen!

Having beer on the brain, I decided it would be fun to try making some pumpkin bread that featured both pumpkin puree and pumpkin beer, along with some pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s. This pumpkin triple threat is definitely more savory than traditional pumpkin bread, but the golden raisins bring it all together with a slight touch of sweetness. The best part is that I only used a cup of beer in the recipe and got to enjoy the rest of the bottle while I was mixing the loaf up. I’m hoping next time I’ll be able to use one of Apolinaras’ brews in the recipe instead!

Pumpkin Beer Bread
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup pumpkin beer
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Place pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool completely.

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Mix cooled pumpkin puree, butter, pumpkin butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl until well mixed. Stir in pumpkin beer. Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; stir in golden raisins. Spread dough into prepared pan and bake at 350˚F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 229 calories, 4.5g fat, 5.0g fiber, 4.9g protein per serving
Cost: $0.39 per serving

Apple Spiral Chai Coffee Cake

I was super excited when my friend Shannon organized an apple picking field trip the other weekend to Smolak Farms! Not only would I get to check out a local orchard for the first time, I also would get to meet several of my favorite fellow Boston food bloggers,...

Golden Raisin Almond Crumble Muffins

Apolinaras and I have a similar outlook on life and agree on all major issues that couples tend to fight over (family, money, politics, etc), but sparks always fly over desserts! I like to indulge in treats laden with butter and sugar since I don’t bake very often and...

Boston Cream Pie Mini French Toast Stacks

While I was visiting my parents in Des Moines last weekend, my mom and I put on our aprons and chef hats, and collaborated on this breakfast treat. She’s the first source I go to when I need any advice in the kitchen because she’s an awesome high school culinary arts...

Hawaiian Omelet

There are a fair number of cooking techniques that I have yet to master, and one that I’m particularly interesting in conquering is how to make the perfect omelet. I feel like it's always mentioned on Top Chef how cooking eggs is a measure of a chef’s skills and well,...

Apple Coffee Layer Cake

I’ve often wondered why I’ve never seen a layered coffee cake. It just seems like stacking coffee cakes on top of each other would make the presentation so much more festive! I recently couldn’t help but try out this idea when I was baking a birthday treat for us to...

Apricot Pecan Spiral Coffee Cake

My kitchen is currently overflowing with Pillsbury brownie mixes and refrigerated cookie dough. Don’t worry, I’m not just looking for a sugar high  - I’ve just started working on recipes for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off! Recipes are due April 20 and I encourage all my...

Nutella Gingerbread Scones

We currently have a bunch of cookies in our snack drawer at work, and lately I’ve been reaching first for the gingersnaps dipped in chocolate. They are just so good! Then the other day I had a light bulb moment - you know what would be even better? Gingersnaps topped...

Cornmeal Pancakes with Corn, Bacon, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

I’ve mentioned before that my mom teaches a high school culinary arts program. Her students have a few big national competitions coming up this summer, where they will be vying for scholarships to culinary school, and they recently held a really cool fundraiser at BOS...