What's Cooking: Pumpkin spice up your life

Not much goes better with a chilly fall day than a hot cup of coffee and a seasonal sweet.

At Church Street Coffee and Books, that means curling up with a slice of the shop’s customer fall-favorite, a spiced pumpkin loaf.

While the Crestline Village bookstore is most famous for its Breakup Cookie, the shop features a variety of baked goods to go along with its coffee options, and in the fall, that includes the pumpkin loaf.

Heather Morris, whose husband Cal co-owns and operates Church Street, said that the contrast of the crunchy exterior and moist interior of the loaf is what makes it so tasty.

Morris, who is responsible for the variety of baked goods at the shop, said her culinary process generally begins with a standard recipe, but that she will refine an item five to ten times before she is completely happy.

As for the season the pumpkin loaf ubiquitously invokes, Morris said it’s a comforting time.

“Fall reminds me of grandmother’s table at Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie,” she said.

To go with the pumpkin loaf, Morris suggested a medium-roast coffee as an accompanying beverage.

“My favorite is the Honduras from Non-Fiction [Coffee Co.] that we proudly serve,” she said.

PUMPKIN LOAF

Recipe:

Loaf

► 3/4 cup butter (softened)

► 3 cups sugar

► 3 eggs, plus 3 egg yolks

► 3 cups flour

► 1/4 cup raw (turbinado) sugar

► 1  Tablespoon baking powder

► 1 3/4 teaspoon cloves

► 1/2 teaspoon salt

► 1/8 teaspoon allspice

► 15 oz pumpkin (canned)

► 1/4 cup heavy cream

► 1  Tablespoon honey

► 1  Tablespoon vanilla

► 1  Tablespoon  rum

Glaze

► 1/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

► 2 teaspoon water

► 1 teaspoon vanilla

► 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs one and a time until well-combined.

4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt.

5. In another separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, honey, vanilla and rum.

6. Alternating between each, combine wet and dry ingredients with butter and sugar mixture.

7. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. When loaf has cooled completely poke several holes in the top with a fork. 

9. Whisk together glaze ingredients and brush over with a basting or pastry brush.