Browned Butter Pumpkin-Beer Bread

I possibly store dozens of cans of pumpkin just to make pumpkin bread at any moment. I can have a list full of things I need to do and will get distracted by the urge to have a bite of moist and spicy pumpkin bread.

Doesn’t that happen to all of you? The recipe I use is a keeper and I never really thought of swaying to try another one until I came across this recipe using pumpkin beer in my local paper. Yes, pumpkin beer! I found some at the store and it was a very happy day indeed.

The checkout girl was looking at me sort of funny and put my beer to the side. I thought maybe there was a new law that passed and I was buying the beer at a wrong hour. She said she was sorry she had to bother me to check my ID. Sorry?? Who are you kidding!?! I wasn’t sad or offended. I was actually ready to jump over the conveyor belt and hug her. That would've been really awkward.

Ahhh…the simple things that just make your day.

Something else made my day. I ran into my favorite librarian today and she stopped to tell me this pumpkin bread recipe is her favorite. Very flattering to hear and moments like that inspire me to keep this little blog going.

So back to this bread. I had my beer and my canned pumpkin and I was ready to bake this bread and it was still before lunch. I didn’t realize the recipe only requires a cup of beer. I know what you’re thinking but I didn’t!. I did not drink the rest of the beer. I did save it for later in the evening.

A little about the bread: I decided to brown the butter because well, it just is amazing. I used it in this bundt and in these cookies and they were huge favorites with the neighbors and whomever else got a sample. The pumpkin beer gave the bread a richer and yeasty flavor. I do love baking yeast breads and don’t always have the time for them. I also wish I had freshly baked and mashed pumpkin on hand to use for a spur of the moment bread. If you’re more organized and prepared than I am, do use the fresh pumpkin. Canned pumpkin works wonderfully for us. There is some pumpkin leftover, as you don’t use the whole can. You could use them in a soup or cinnamon rolls. How about added to your waffles? Hmmm…now I’m craving pumpkin waffles! A delicious pumpkin bread that smells dreamy while baking. If you’re not into baking with beer, you have to try this recipe that is also fantastic!

Browned Butter Pumpkin-Beer Bread
slightly adapted from Slate

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin ale

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan. Brown the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter has browned (about 3 minutes), set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Stir the pumpkin and brown sugar into the cooled brown butter, then stir in the eggs. Finally, stir in the pumpkin ale. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, then transfer the batter to the greased pan.

Bake for 1/2 on hour at 350 then lower the heat to 325 and bake for about another 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. It will be hard to wait for the bread to cool before serving to slice.

Happy baking! 🙂

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