Marilyn Martin's Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Category: Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 cup apple cider
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine first five ingredients in a small bowl and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Gradually add second bowl to pumpkin mixture and beat well.

Pour mixture into 9"x5" loaf pan -- either non-stick, or lightly oiled. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 65 - 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups apple cider
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into bits and softened
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 stick of butter, softened

Boil cider in a saucepan until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, the butter, the confectioners' sugar, and the reduced cider until the icing is smooth.

Assembling the sandwiches: Slice the cooled loaf into thin, even slices (but not so thin as to be unmanageable!) Sandwich two pieces of pumpkin bread together with frosting until bread is used up, and then trim the 'crusts' off of each sandwich (optional!), and slice into smaller sandwiches - longish sandwiches or little squares, whatever suits your fancy. If you have extra frosting, you can decorate each sandwich with a little blob of frosting and maybe a bit of candied ginger or a hazelnut or (if it's Halloween) a single candy corn - or leave them plain. It's entirely up to you. As for me, I left the 'crust' on, cut them into squares, topped with extra frosting, and decorated some with chopped walnuts and some with thin slices of candied ginger.

Goes great with mulled cider, by the way. Tomorrow, maybe I'll try them with some pumpkin spice latte. Mmmmmm.