Ginger Pecan Pumpkin Bread

It's been awhile since I've posted. Thanksgiving came and went. Now it's December and beginning to feel like Christmas time. It's quite lovely. What's also lovely is the marvelous spiced aroma that fills the house when this pumpkin bread is baking in the oven. My sister came to visit me for the weekend and we had fun putting this little bread together.

I used a pretty special squash for this bread. It's called a red kuri squash. I could have easily used a pie pumpkin, but I couldn't resist the beauty and uniqueness of this particular squash. To make the pumpkin puree, all I did was half the squash, scoop out the seeds, and lay cut-side down in a baking pan with about an inch of water. I roasted it at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until it was soft. After letting it cool, I scooped out the creamy orange flesh and put it through a food processor to make it extra smooth.

Ginger Pecan Pumpkin Bread (adapted from Jenny's recipe at food52)
2 1/2 cups whole spelt or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup rapadura or raw sugar
1 stick organic butter
1/4 cup  blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, molasses, maple syrup and yogurt until well combined. Add the fresh ginger and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the pecans, and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

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