::Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread::

I'm finally back, and each blog post I am more and more excited. I love hearing from all of you and all your wonderful comments and feedback; it's greatly appreciated!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The trees are turning and beautiful in color, it's time for more "warmer" type clothing, fun to snuggle inside under a blanket, and most importantly; the many wonderful tastes and flavors of fall. Some that come to mind are pumpkin, squash, and apple; to name a few. I am a pumpkin lover. I don't necessarily mean pumpkin pie; but pumpkin bars, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies; to name a few, again. :) So for the first fall recipe of pumpkin, I chose to make a ::Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread:: This recipe can be made without the cream cheese part; all you have to do is just make the bread part without the cream cheese (I know, hello obvious!). The thing I love about pumpkin and the recipes are that they always seem SO moist. This recipe makes two loaves; two very moist; two very yummy loaves! Enjoy!

::Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread::

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsps pumpkin pie spice

2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 12-oz pkg semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup butter, softened

1- 29oz can pumpkin

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Ad chocolate chips and, if desired, nuts.

2) In a mixing bowl, combie butter, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium spped until smooth. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture 1 cup at a time, beating on low spped until combined.

3) Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 2 large loaves.

The above it to make the regular ::Pumpkin Bread::...to make the ::Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread:: do the following....

Make bread batter as above. In another mixing bowl combine two 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 egg yolks, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium spped until fluffy. Sprea half of the bread batter into prepared pans. Carefully spread cheese mixture over batter pans. Top with remaining batter. If desired, using a spatula, cut through batter and cheese mixture to swirl. Bake and cool as directed above.

This recipe came from the Mixing Bowl, Fall/Winter 2010, magazine.



Pumpkin bread = pumpkin stuff!

This one calls for both "baking" ingredients...powder...and...

...soda!

Add all the "dry" ingredients in a bowl.

Along with the chocolate chips (and nuts if you want; but I didn't use).



FYI: Adding chocolate chips and nuts to the flour mixture will help them to not sink to the bottom of the batter.



Have to have pumpkin in pumpkin bread!

Gotta have that suga'!

Then blend together all of the "wet" ingredients.

And you will get something like this!

Then you add the "dry" to the "wet" one cup at a time.

A layer of the pumpkin bread batter and cream cheese and batter again in one pan....

Layering out the cream cheese in another pan.

All ready for the oven!

Baked! I have found that with this "orange" color for the pumpkin bread is hard to photgraph with my camera. But oh well...it's soooo yummy!

Another shot!

Gotta love that cream cheese layer! Makes it that much more moist!

Another close up! The pumpkin pairs nicely with not only the cream cheese, but the chocolate chips too!

Great fall baked good to bring to work for the breakroom; or hog to yourself for morning coffee?

Moist. Sweet. What more could you want?