Pumpkin Amaranth Beer Bread

Now that we're into October, I'm excited to share my first pumpkin recipe of the year with you! I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm one of those people who gets a bit obsessed with everything pumpkin related as soon as the weather starts getting cooler every year - I always look forward to pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin scones and muffins, and pumpkin beer!

Last year, I made a variety of pumpkin based treats, but the one that didn't quite turn out was a pumpkin beer bread. I realized what my mistake was though (using a beer that was too strong and dark), so this year I was determined to try another beer bread.

I love beer bread because it's so simple to make, not to mention super fun watching the mixture bubble and fizz when you add the beer! I also like how versatile it is since it's like a cross between bread and a loaf cake - you can eat it plain or buttered, toasted or fresh, with savory or sweet toppings, as a side to soup or on its own for breakfast.

This particular recipe has lots of spices in it, a generous portion of pumpkin puree, and some maple syrup for a bit of sweetness to balance the bitterness of the beer. This time, I used a lighter blonde ale for the beer, but a light pumpkin beer would work really well too!

I also wanted to add a bit of texture to my loaf by mixing in a grain like quinoa or millet. Unfortunately, I didn't have either of those in my pantry, but I did have some amaranth so I decided to incorporate it instead. Rather than using it dry though, I popped the seeds first so that it puffed up like popcorn. If you've never tried popped amaranth before, there are some helpful tutorials on other blogs such as Edible Perspective.

The amaranth wasn't very noticeable in the baked loaf, but you could see some light speckles throughout and it added a hint of nutty flavour, not to mention a boost of nutrition since amaranth is high in protein, fiber, and vitamins.

I enjoyed most of this bread with Earth Balance coconut spread, but I also ate some with a delicious pumpkin mash which I'll be sharing on the blog next week!

Pumpkin Amaranth Beer Bread
Adapted from various sources, including Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes and Averie Cooks

1/4 cup dry amaranth grain (about 1 cup popped)

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup canned pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp molasses (I used blackstrap molasses)

1/2 tsp maple extract (optional, for more of a maple flavour)

12 oz bottle of light beer (I used a blonde ale)

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Prepare a loaf pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper (optional) and spraying with cooking spray.

First, to pop the amaranth, place a medium sized pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Add a small amount of amaranth (about 1 tbsp) to the pot and heat until it starts to pop. Once it starts popping, cover pot with a lid and shake frequently until it stops popping. Immediately transfer popped amaranth to a bowl. Continue in small batches until all the amaranth has been popped. Note: You will likely need to throw out your first batch or two, as it won’t pop properly. Mine didn’t start going until the third attempt!

In a large bowl, add the flours, baking powder, spices, and salt. Whisk to mix thoroughly. Whisk in the popped amaranth.

In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, maple syrup, oil, molasses, and maple extract. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir a few times. Pour in the beer and stir gently just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Transfer mixture to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes (I baked mine for 60 minutes just to be sure it was cooked all the way through – this could depend on your oven and the size of your loaf pan). Remove and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then remove loaf from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.  *Note: After a couple of days, I stored my leftovers, pre-sliced and wrapped well, in the freezer and defrosted slices when I wanted a piece.

Cranberry Orange Almond Loaf

It's almost December and like many other food bloggers, I've already started my holiday baking!

Fresh cranberries are one ingredient that I always try to incorporate in my plans for holiday baked goods and desserts. I love their tartness, especially when combined with other sweet ingredients to balance them out. And even though both are sour, cranberries also seem to pair especially well with citrus flavours like lemon and orange.

For this loaf, I wanted to use the classic combination of fresh cranberries and orange, along with a third flavour: almond.  The bread itself is a soft, delicate loaf made with whole wheat and spelt flour, and studded with juicy cranberries and thinly sliced almonds.

I added orange zest and almond extract to both the loaf itself and the glaze, which is a simple icing sugar glaze made with orange juice. Finally, I used almond milk nog in the batter to add one more touch of holiday flavour!

This is a light and sweet loaf that can be served as either breakfast or dessert.  The loaf itself actually wasn't very sweet, but adding the glaze on top while it's still warm helps to add an extra layer of sweetness that absorbs into the top of each slice.

The almond flavour came through pretty strongly, which made this cake different from most of the other baked goods that I'm used to.  I also loved the sliced almonds throughout the loaf - they added a touch of crunch without being too prominent, really letting the cranberries shine!

This loaf definitely got me excited for the holiday baking season, and I can't wait to make more treats using some of my other favourite holiday ingredients, like gingerbread, eggnog, and candy cane!

Vegan Cranberry Orange Almond Loaf
Adapted from Ripe from Around Here

1 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp water (or 1 flax egg)

1 cup light spelt flour (or all-purpose)

1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond nog)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp orange zest

1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tbsp cider vinegar

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8.5x4.5” loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.

First, make your egg replacer – mix 1 tsp powdered egg replacer with 2 tbsp water and set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Whisk together all dry ingredients (flour through to sugar) in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the non-dairy milk, applesauce, coconut oil, almond and vanilla extracts and orange zest.  Pour the wet ingredients and the egg replacer mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.  Fold in the cranberries, almonds, and cider vinegar.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until the tops are domed, the sides are starting to pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Meanwhile, make your glaze by stirring together all ingredients until a thick, smooth glaze forms.  Pour the glaze over the top of the warm loaf and let it drip down the sides (you may want to put newspaper underneath to catch the drippings). Once cool, cut into slices. 

*Note: I would recommend not covering this loaf for the first day, and storing leftovers in the fridge, then warming up pieces as needed (I covered mine with saran wrap at room temperature overnight, and it got a bit mushy). 

Rhubarb Loaf with Strawberry Jam Swirl

With Mother's Day approaching this weekend, I wanted to bake something special in honour of my Mom, and since she reads my blog, I figured I could share it with her both in person and online!

When I think back to my childhood and the treats that my Mom would bake for us, one thing that stands out in my mind is rhubarb.  My parents grow a small rhubarb patch in their backyard, which has been there for as long as I can remember.  I used to love being assigned the "job" of going out to pick the rhubarb for something my Mom planned to make, and my sisters and I would even eat pieces of it raw, our faces puckering from the sourness.

My Mom's specialty was (and still is) her delicious strawberry-rhubarb sour cream pie - every year I look forward to that limited time during the summer when rhubarb and strawberries are both in season because I know I'll get to taste that pie soon!  She would also bake the rhubarb into hot fruit crisps and delicious muffins. I used to love the days when there would be a fresh batch of rhubarb muffins sitting on the countertop for us to eat as snacks!

So it didn't take long for me to decide that my Mother's Day treat this year would be something with rhubarb! I was able to find some at the market last weekend, and I spent the afternoon baking.  I decided to make mini loaves with the rhubarb because they make such an adorable and perfect sized gift.  Plus I could get two loaves from the batter - one for me to eat right away, and one to save in the freezer to bring to Mom this weekend!

I found a recipe for vegan strawberry-rhubarb muffins on the Kitchn, so I used that as a guide but turned it into mini loaves.  Some of the other changes I made were using coconut oil instead of canola oil, adding some oat flour to the dry ingredients and I changed the spices by replacing the cardamom with cinnamon and adding some ground ginger because I love the combination of rhubarb and ginger.

I also left out the strawberries but I still liked the idea of combining the rhubarb with strawberries, so I added a swirl of strawberry-rhubarb jam to the batter instead.  Finally, I created my own topping for the loaf by mixing oats, cinnamon, cane sugar and sliced almonds with a bit of Earth Balance Coconut Spread to make a delicious crumble.

I divided the batter up and started by filling one mini loaf tin. When that was done, I made one more mini loaf and had enough batter leftover for four large muffins too. As the loaves and muffins were baking, my whole apartment started to fill up with that amazing smell that I remember from my kitchen growing up, so I knew I was off to a good start!

After tasting them, I have to say these muffins and loaf may be one of my favourite baked goods I've ever made!  They were perfectly soft and fluffy and had such a nice sweet flavour with notes of the warm spices.  The rhubarb baked down into gooey pockets mixed with the swirl of jam, and I loved the light and crunchy almond crumble on top (although some of the almonds did fall off as I was eating, so make sure you have a plate!)

So if you're looking for an idea for something special to treat your mom this weekend, I think she would love this rhubarb loaf!  Or even if you just want a treat for yourself or you need ideas for using up your rhubarb, give this recipe a try - you could use it to make muffins, mini loaves or even a regular sized loaf - just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Happy Mothers Day!

Vegan Rhubarb Loaf with Strawberry Jam Swirl
Adapted from Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, as seen on the Kitchn

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup oat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

~ 1/4 cup strawberry or strawberry-rhubarb jam

Topping:

1/4 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp cane sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp Earth Balance (I used the Earth Balance Coconut Spread)

2 tbsp sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400°.  Spray a muffin tin and/or mini loaf pans with cooking spray.

Mix the almond milk with the vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours through to salt). Add the diced rhubarb and stir until the rhubarb is fully coated.

Add the sugar, coconut oil and vanilla to the bowl with the almond milk and vinegar. Stir to combine. (Note: If your almond milk is still cold, it may cause the coconut oil to harden.  If this happens, place the mixture in the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals until the coconut oil is melted again).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Add the Earth Balance and mix in using a fork, until it is broken down and the oats are moist and crumbly.  Stir in the almonds.

Pour the batter into your prepared pans – I filled two mini loaf pans and 4 muffin cups.  Fill each pan/muffin cup only halfway at first, then add a spoonful of jam – about 1 tbsp per mini loaf pan or about 1 tsp per muffin cup. Add the remaining batter on top, then swirl with a toothpick to distribute the jam.  Sprinkle the topping mixture on top of the batter and press in gently with your hands to help it stick.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes for muffins, or 25-30 minutes for mini loaves (I didn't test a large sized loaf but it would probably need around 45-55 minutes).

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 2 mini loaves and 4 large muffins, OR 12 muffins, OR 3-4 mini loaves