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Cranberry pumpkin bread loaded with dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
The older I get (and by the way, I'm still young) the more I gravitate towards easier recipes that are full of flavor. When I first graduated from culinary school, the more complicated the better. If there was a fancy 7-layer meringue cake elegantly interleaved with thick buttercream topped with candied orange slices dipped in chocolate and covered with toasted coconut, deal me in. Mine never quite looked like the photo on the cover of Bon Appetit, but I was always game.
My new-found confidence partly stemmed from a better understanding of WHY a dish worked out the way it did, and equally important, why it DIDN'T. And partly, frankly, I was so relieved to have survived culinary school with girls much younger than I, run by-let's just say-a very exacting chef-owner, that I wanted to strut my stuff. But mostly I felt everyone's expectations had suddenly been raised. No longer could I just bring cheese and crackers to a potluck. No, now it better be cheese and crackers I had made from scratch, along with a loaf of freshly baked bread using the leftover whey from the cheese making.
But recently, I've relaxed. I want something I can pull together in 30 minutes or less with the minimum of fuss. Which brings me to the wonderful blog I had fun living with this month, Chocolate and Chillies. And yes, it's Secret Recipe Club time again. For the uninitiated, we're a group of around 100 food bloggers, separated into four smaller blogging groups. Every month, we’re each assigned a blog in our group to look through. We try a few recipes and chose one to post about. But all month long, we keep our assignment a secret until ‘reveal day’. It’s been a lot of fun – and I’ve found some great new blogs to follow and new recipes to add to my rotation.
From the photography to the dishes, there's so much to love on Asiya's beautiful blog, and I found lots of recipes I plan to try over the next few seasons. As soon as zucchini are back in season, her Sautéed Shredded Zucchini are at the top of my must-make list. It's such a simple recipe and I can tell already it's going to be a favorite. Asiya even makes focaccia look easy to make, and I'm looking forward to making her Focaccia with Onion over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. But the next recipe I'm making from her blog is Masoor Ki Daal. I love anything lentil anything, and it's right up my alley.
But first I had to make this wonderful little quick bread. Asiya has it as a Cranberry Loaf, and that's how I meant to make it. But at the last minute, as I pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator to make it, I spied the remains of a can of pumpkin I really needed to use up. So this became a Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf, but I'm sure it's wonderful without the pumpkin too. Oh, and I threw up a bunch of chocolate chips just because. All I can say is my husband couldn't believe it when it was all gone, and looked everywhere in the refrigerator for a last piece as a snack. Truthfully, it disappeared in 3 days, and only the two of us were eating it.
I'm making it again over Thanksgiving, but I think I'll double it next time around and freeze one to have on hand for emergencies.
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Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- Adapted from Chocolate and Chilies and Dairy Goodness
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar or make your own
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350˚ F.
- Butter a 9" X 5" inch loaf pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the eggs and buttermilk liquid. Using a rubber spatula, stir the wet and dry ingredients together until the flour mixture is completely incorporated into the liquid.
- Gently fold in the the dried cranberries and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.
Erika
What a gorgeous loaf! Such a perfect fall loaf. I can totally relate to what you're saying about relaxing and looking for simpler, flavorful recipes. I've been feeling the same way about cooking lately--I just want something delicious that will feed me--and fast! You're tempting me to just make this loaf as my sustenance for the week 😉 So beautiful, as always!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Love so many things about this. Shall I count?
(1) "The older I get (and by the way, I’m still young)"
(2) "interleaved"
(3) "So this became a Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf"
I am going to make it in 3 mini loaf pans. I can keep 2 and give one away, and feel very generous. 🙂
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Perfect recipe for this time of year! great src Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories
Susan, that loaf looks simply amazing. I love too that you no longer feel the need to make everything complicated. I think that is our first instinct, to meet others' expectations! Love the photo in the red baker, btw.
April
I've never been much of a cranberry enthusiast, but am slowly coming around. This looks like a delightful way to use them, and I have to say that I'm in love with your bread pan. 🙂
SallyBR
So agree with you on the "simpler is better". BTW, I just got the new cookbook from Dorie Greenspan, and it is all about simple baking
haven't browse through it all yet, but I think it's a book you would love to have... (enabler? who, me?)
🙂
Rebekah @ Making Miracles
LOVE this! Perfect for this time of year - I definitely need to give this one a try. 🙂 Happy reveal day!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
Can I just say.....YUM
cheri
Hi Susan, love baking this time of year, looks like you picked a real winner. Good for you finishing culinary school!
Asiya @ Chocolate & Chillies
Thank you for your kind words 🙂 Love the changes you've made..I would never have thought to add pumpkin!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
This looks awesome!! So perfect for fall-- pumpkin bread is my favorite!
Emily @ Life on Food
I haven't made pumpkin bread yet this year. I don't know what I am thinking! This one looks great combining both cranberries and chocolate chips.
sarah k @ the pajama chef
pumpkin bread is definitely great to have on hand for emergencies! love this!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
What a perfect combo for fall! Great pick!
Choc Chip Uru
Pumpkin bread is always one of my absolute favourites, and with chocolate chips, it makes it even better 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Lynsey @ Lynsey Lou's
This bread looks amazing! You're right, great minds do think alike...we were both craving pumpkin this month! I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through your blog and found so many recipes I want to try.
Happy reveal day!
Christie
This is perfect for this time of year. I love the pumpkin and cranberry combination of this bread. I will definitely have to make this bread. YUM!
Norma Chang
Love your addition of pumpkin and chocolate chips bet it made for a very moist cake and delicious of course. I too am gravitating towards simpler recipes as I mature.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
Love the addition of cranberries! Perfect choice for this time of year.
Couscous & Consciousness
Oh, I'm so with you on this. I've done my time of trying to make the most complicated thing imaginable for a get together or dinner party. Thankfully I've learned now, even though I still like to make as much as I can, that getting together is actually about just that - spending time together, not spending all my time in the kitchen.
To that end, I think a back up one of these loaves in the freezer would be perfect - just the thing to bake up on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and stash away for when I'm expecting company. Loving the cranberry, pumpkin, chocolate combo!
Melissa
This looks like a beautiful and festive way to celebrate holiday mornings! Awesome pick this month 🙂
Tara
Beautiful photos! Such a perfect pick for Autumn.
Kathryn Dilligard
Mmmm. I want me a slice of that yummy goodness.
mjskit
This quick bread is loaded with a TON of goody goodness!!! And so pretty too!