This month we’re baking with everyone’s favourite November flavour, pumpkin. And who better to take us through some taste sensations than our resident Yank….

Pumpkins derive most of their fame [...]]]> It’s about that time again, chaps. Heather from catering duo Corker and Mills is bringing us the November installment of their tasty recipes.

This month we’re baking with everyone’s favourite November flavour, pumpkin. And who better to take us through some taste sensations than our resident Yank….

Pumpkins derive most of their fame from being turned into scary Halloween Jack-o-lanterns or pretty princess carriages a la Disney’s Cinderella and some bibbity-bobbity-boo.

But I, personally, like to eat them. Pumpkin soups and pumpkin seeds and pumpkin breads and pumpkin pie and pumpkin lattes… yeah, good.

I use tinned pumpkin when I bake / cook because A) boiling and disecting and scraping the inside of a pumpkin is a pain and B) I’ve tried the boiling-disecting-scraping game before, only to discover that after all my efforts – and blood and sweat and tears to be authentic and rustic and cool – my pie/bread/soup ended up tasting THE EXACT SAME as using the can. No love is won over for extra effort here. (quick tip : Waitrose has just begun selling Libby’s tinned pumpkin!)

Pumpkin loaf (makes two loaves)

These loaves can be kept in the freezer for up to a week after baking. Let cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap/ bag and pop it in the freezer! (and obvs let it thaw for a few hours – 3 or 4 is good – before trying to slice and try and a later date)

Ingredients :

• 2 cups flour (approx. 240g)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (or nutmeg)
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) soft
• 1 cup sugar (approx. 200g)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (approx. 220g)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

Directions:

• Sift dry ingredients, set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix in one at
• a time.
• Beat in Vanilla and the pumpkin puree with the last egg.
• Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until just incorporated.
• Pour batter into a lined loaf tin
• Bake at 180 C for approximately 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the
• middle of the loaf comes out clean.