This bread! Well, technically it's more like a gooey dessert loaf. Is that a category? This gooey dessert loaf...will make...your house...smell like heaven.

If I was a heaven-believing type of person (I'm not, with the grotesque exception of a doggy heaven), I know it would smell like this bread baking. It's like if Thanksgiving and Christmas were on the same day. That's what it smells like.

Like earthy pumpkin, zesty ginger, sweet molasses, and holiday spices. It's amazing what they can do aromatically when married together and heated.

Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread — Produce On Parade - This gooey dessert bread is the essence of #Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. Heavenly winter #gingerbread is scented with autumnal spices and moistened with #pumpkin. Bits of candied ginger throug…

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”

— Socrates

Socrates knows what's up.

print recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-8-2014

This gooey dessert bread is the essence of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. Heavenly winter gingerbread is scented with autumnal spices and moistened with pumpkin. Bits of candied ginger throughout lend a spicy bite. NOTES: Feel free to use 2 cups all-purpose flour if you like. Be sure to let the bread rest, for it will need to settle.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 15 oz. can of canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
¼ cup candied ginger, minced

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and cold water. Allow to rest until ready to use.In a large bowl, whisk together the flours through and including the cardamom. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin through and including the molasses, as well as the flax mixture.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Now, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Stir in the candied ginger. Do not over mix. Coat a bread pan with a nonstick cooking spray and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes or until set. Allow to rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool another 10 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 1 loaf of bread

Dutch Word of The Day

My bread is similar to a Dutch gingerbread called "peperkoek" (pay-per-cooik) or "pepper cake", except that peperkoek usually uses rye flour! Pretty cool huh?

Good Deed of The Day

This is one of the best articles I've read in a long time. Originally published in Cosmologics, the magazine of Science, Religion, and Culture program at the Harvard Divinity School. It's titled, Why Atheists Should be Vegans, and you need to read it.

I used to really like meatloaf. My Dad had the best recipe. As I really ponder it, I'm not sure if he had an actual tangible recipe that he followed or if it was just mostly in his head. Whatever it was, I thought it was pretty good. However, now when I think about...meatloaf in general is pretty darn gross. Sorry. Eww, okay, must stop thinking about it. I'm happy to say that I've found a much better alternative to ground animal bits transformed into a "loaf". My recipe for a Whole Food Vegan Veggie Loaf! The best part (besides no need for killed animals) is that there's no tofu, no textured vegetable protein or even vegan grain-meat. It's made from real, whole foods like lentils, oats, and a few other magical ingredients. I know, it sounds like crazy, hippie food and you're thinking it's no where near as good as real meat loaf, but I promise you that it's just as good. I wouldn't lie to you! Santa Claus is coming to town soon! I'm good for goodness sake.

So skip the meatloaf (or meat in general!) and surprise your friends and family with a peaceful feast that includes this Whole Food Vegan Veggie Loaf!

I've been thinking that this will be a great alternative to turkey, pig or cow for the Holidays. I can't wait to share it with everyone!

Whole Food Vegan Veggie Loaf

Adapted slightly from the renowned Plant-Powered Kitchen

Serves 6

--Veggie Loaf--
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 cup dry steel-cut oats
2 cups water, boiling
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp. flaxseed, ground
2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. black pepper
pinch of kosher salt
--Topping--
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/8-1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder (optional)
sprinkling of dried oregano

In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and cover. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes. After this time the lentils should be cooked.

Add in the steel-cut oats and water, stirring well. Bring back to a boil, then cover, turn to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover after the 10 minutes, stir well and cook uncovered until the water is gone and the steel-cut oats are mostly cooked.

While the oats are cooking, combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a bread pan with parchment paper, then coat with a nonstick cooking spray.

When the oats are finished cooking and resemble a dryish cooked oatmeal, remove the bay leaf and add in all the remaining ingredients, except for the topping. Stir well to combine.

Transfer the mixture into the bread pan, spreading it out evenly. Brush on the topping, sprinkle with oregano and cover gently with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 F for about 25-30 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 7-10 minutes.