Mini pumpkin bread loaves

Wow, it's been awhile since I wrote my first entry and now I'm writing about mini bread loaves...well such is life. I still want to do those things I mentioned on the first post (I had to go back and re-read the post) and for the most part I've been working towards those goals. Mainly baking, baking and more baking (that might rule out the noodle house or sandwich shop, but I'm still interested in those).

In fact there is a great sandwich place in town that we eat at almost weekly. The Green Submarine, I recommend it. Highly. I'm really into the Bang Pow sandwich. I really want to call it the Shaw Wow for some reason. I think it's obvious why. Or not.

Comma time,,,,,,,

I like commas, I mentioned that today on my google status. And as an adult, I will use them willy nilly. So watch out grammarnites.

Alright on to the main event:

Mini pumpkin bread loaves.

This is an adapted recipe for persimmon bread by the great James Beard. Here is the original recipe posted on Dave Lebovitz's site: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/11/persimmon-bread/

I was planning on following the recipe to the tee, but when I pulled out the Fuyu persimmons my mom had peeled and refrigerated, they were not smelling their freshest*. So I needed a substitute. Tada Pumpkin! I love pumpkin, really, really love it.

love it.

So here's the recipe and my substitutions and additions. Enjoy.

Mini pumpkin bread loaves

Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.

• 3½ cups sifted flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
• ½ tsp allspice (fresh is best)
• 1 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 cup melted unsalted butter (two sticks)
• 4 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup rum (Captain Morgan for me)
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)

1. Line three muffin pans, round or square, with cupcake liners. Two bread pan loaves would work also.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Sift all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, pumpkin puree then the nuts and raisins.

5. Fill muffin pans and bake 15 - 18 mins (50 mins - 1 hour for bread pans) or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Pumpkin Breads take well to being frozen, too.

Toasting walnuts, I just rough chop them and place them on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven for about 6 mins. Stirring them half way through.

The square pans are at TJ Maxx, I think they are about $10/piece.

I have found inexpensive nutmeg and allspice at Hispanic stores and inexpensive Vietnamese cinnamon at our co-op in the bulk aisle.

*Just wanted to say sorry to my mom, I wanted to use the persimmons, but I guess I left them in the fridge a little too long. :(

So I want to start a restaurant, bakery, concession stand or sandwich shop (not so much the sandwich shop). I've thought about a lot of ideas. Originally it was a bakery, imagine serving yummy blueberry cream cheese pound cake with a nice coffee, while people read the paper and talk about, well I don't know what they would talk about, but it would be something interesting. I hope.

Now I've moved on to a noodle house, hence my blog name "Little House of Noodle". I've been to some noodle houses and I think they are great ideas, especially for where I'm living. I've checked out franchises also to get me started. Did you know that it's $5,000,000 for one franchise in particular. You can look it up. So then I'm thinking local is good, no need to make some big company bigger, but it's still expensive as I'm researching restaurant entrepreneurship. Well that has now led me to concession stand ownership. Which can be expensive, but my dad already has a lot of the equipment, so saves me money. It needs some work, but at least I don't have to start from scratch.

Oh, I forgot to mention donuts, I thought about that too (once again, my dad has a donut machine). You know, why don't we have that set-up. I mean, geez, a donut machine in your house. That would be awesome.