Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate chips and Nuts

Even a news junky like myself cannot stand the news these days. The sound of Trump's nauseating voice just make me depressed and wondering... If there are any Trump fans out there don't worry I am an equal opportunity hater as far as politicians are concerned. Obama did not make me any less depressed! So there.

But one thing that got me very curious was this repeated use of the word 'deep state' by Trump himself, his cronies and everyone from the right wing talk world and I start to wonder to myself if it is not Trump and his myriad of corrupt cronies who could this word actually be referring to? Helpfully enough there was an article in the Washington Post by the person who popularized the word 'deep state' and about what this word actually means. It is not what Trump would like us to believe, that is there is a shadowy cabal of bureaucrats plotting his downfall. Instead this word means 'corporate power' and 'moneyed influencers'. There that actually makes sense. So in this confusion between truth and fiction Trump thrives.
The original essay - Anatomy of the Deep State.

Pumpkin had been a vegetable that I had always liked, the mildly sweet creamy vegetable was not on the menu often but when it made its appearance it was special. The pumpkins available in the grocery stores here in the US were not as sweet and texture was not creamy as I would have liked. So for the longest time butternut squash filled the void till I started growing pumpkins for myself. I am slowly realizing the versatility of pumpkins. Pumpkins - the icon of Fall is going to be my favorite vegetable for the next couple of months.

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and given a choice I will make the complete menu with just pumpkin :) I am not a big fan of pumpkin pies, so for this reason I had to find something else to replace the pumpkin pie on the Thanksgiving table. I could make this pumpkin halwa and with an Instant Pot an extremely easy dish to make if you have a sweet tooth. But my absolute favorite is the recipe that follows for Pumpkin Bread, the pumpkin makes this bread absolutely moist and delicious.

I steamed pumpkin cubes and mashed them. You could roast the pumpkin too if you wanted. Use unsweetened canned pumpkin puree if you do not have pumpkin. Get your family excited this Thanksgiving by making this pumpkin bread. I guarantee that no one would be disappointed. I followed the banana bread recipe by replacing the mashed bananas with mashed pumpkin.

I also have an Olive Oil Squash Bread if you want a slightly different version with nutmeg and ginger powder.

The Banana Bread recipe is here. Here is the recipe in pictures of the Pumpkin Bread. So if any of you out there wondering about replacing pumpkin pie with something else that is much to your liking you got to try this recipe.


Whish the eggs till frothy, add the butter and sugar and whisk till well mixed.

In a mixing bowl, take all the dry ingredients add the mashed pumpkin, mix it in and add the whisked egg-butter-sugar to the flour.

Add the milk so the batter comes together and pour into greased baking pans.

Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated 350F oven.

Cool on a wire rack for at least half hour before slicing.

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips and Nuts
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Baking Time:45 minutes
Ingredients

2 cups of unbleached white whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups of Pumpkin Puree*

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking piwder

2 eggs

1/4 cups of coarsely chopped roasted unsalted almonds

1 cup of raw sugar

6 tbsp of unsalted butter (bring to room temperature) + 1/4 tsp of salt, skip salt if using salted butter

1 cup whole milk (use just enough to moisten the batter)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350F.

*Cut pumpkin, remove seeds and pith, peel and cut into 2-3 inch cubes and in a steamer steam for about 8 minutes, let cool and mash with a back of a spatula. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.

Using a egg beater or hand whisk, whisk the egg till it is nice and fluffy.

Add butter, sugar and run the beater a bit longer so they mix well.

Get a 9 x 5 inch rectangular loaf pan ready by greasing the pan with butter and dust with flour if needed (I did not).

Add the mashed pumpkin into the flour and gently mix it in.

Now add the whisked ingredients in batches to the flour and with a spatula mix. Add as much milk to moisten the batter. Use only as much as needed. I needed the full cup of milk. Do not over mix.

Add the chocolate chips and almonds and gently mix so they spread evenly.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 45 minutes till a skewer or tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.