You know how it is…you’re with a friend who serves something you can’t get out of your head. Or, a friend walks in the door with something and in one taste you realize you’ve been sent to the moon. You utter the words, “Can I get that recipe?” That’s what happened when Linda Giuca tasted a friend’s pumpkin bread. Now, Linda has tasted countless things as the long-reigning food expert at The Hartford Courant, where she now co-writes a column. (She’s also co-director with husband Bob of Al Forno Restaurant in Old Saybrook, Connecticut one of our favorite spots.)
Ingredients
- 2½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger ground
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter unsalted, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups pumpkin mashed, canned or cooked
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup raisins golden
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
Servings: makes one large loag
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9- or 10-inch baking stoneware dish or spray with vegetable spray and sprinkle with unseasoned bread crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, spices and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until blended. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and water and mix just until blended. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in nuts and raisins.
- Pour into prepared stoneware and bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out dry. Cool in stoneware for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
Gave myself a treat listening to your show today Wednesday 11-19-14 while driving home from my daily chores on the Northfolk of LI, NY and was inspired by your lively and spirited to dust off my baking tins and pull out my wine glasses and enjoy my efforts and your guests suggestions and research. Looking forward to surprising my husband with your Pumpkin Bread , sounds delicious , can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for your guests , show and a remarkable sense of humor.
Genevieve
group of guests.
Genevieve, you’re the best to write in, and we’re cheering you on with your surprise. Linda Giuca has wonderful taste in food, so I think you’re going to enjoy this pumpkin bread. I’m a fan of these quick breads because I’m not a baker. A favorite dessert I like to serve is a toasted baguette with melted chocolate and sea salt. Does it get any easier? Listen, you are so sweet to say such things about the show, which is a joy to do. Plus I get to meet people like you at this online party. A million thanks, and Happy Holidays! — Faith
I was confused by what type of pan this large amount of batter should be baked in. The recipe calls for a 9-10 inch baking stoneware “dish,” but as it is called Pumpkin Bread, I opted for a ceramic loaf pan. Right now it has 20 minutes left to bake and chunks of semi-baked bread are breaking off of the risen surface and falling on the oven floor. I don’t have high hopes for it turning out well, but please clarify what kind of dish/pan to bake it in in case I want to try again. A cake pan? Pie pan?
Hi Gail. We checked in with Linda for clarification. Here’s what she said: “I’ve always used a 9-inch stoneware Pfaltzgraff dish to get a nice round loaf. The dish is slightly deeper than a regular pie plate, about 1-1/2 inches deep.” Here’s another tip from Linda. If you go the loaf pan route, use TWO 9-inch loaf pans. The bread should take about the same amount of time to bake. I hope this helps the next loaf (or loaves!) come out perfect.