Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping

Ahhhhhhhhh, Autumn is here!  Well, it is according to the calendar.  I mean, it is almost Halloween, right?!  This has been the first week of cooler weather here in Houston.  Up until now, it has reached the mid to upper 80s every day.  But has that stopped me from celebrating the arrival of fall?  Certainly not!  My house has been decorated for fall since mid-September, with leaves, pumpkins, acorns, apples, and all of those gorgeous fall colors.  However, my fall decorating has had one casualty already:  one of the little pumpkins on my lovely fall wreath seems to have cracked from the heat, showing off its styrofoam innards.  Hopefully the weather will cool down further sometime before the end of the year…

One of my favorite things about fall is using pumpkin in baked goods.  This recipe is from Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen cookbook which hasn’t let me down yet!  This is delicious and easy bread, with lots of pumpkin flavor as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and pecans.  The recipe makes 2 huge loaves, so you won’t feel so bad eating a whole loaf yourself…you’ll still have plenty to share!  I LOVE this bread!  It is my new favorite fall bread/muffin!

Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping

from The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

Bread:

• 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (above)

To make the bread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans for the topping.

Grease two 9 by 5-inch pans or 36 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray.

Whisk the oil and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk until combined.  Stir in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.  Gently stir in 1 cup of the pecan pieces.  Pour half of the batter into each loaf pan.  For muffins, fill the muffin pans almost to the top with batter.

To make the topping: Stir the sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the reserved 1/2 cup of pecan pieces in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle the topping liberally over the loaves or the muffins before baking.

Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Bake the muffins for 30 to 35 minutes.