Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread

Plus, a quick little gift guide (I couldn't resist)

We’re in the holiday home stretch!

How about a fat slice of gingerbread on the couch with some milky tea & The Family Stone? I fast-forward through the dinner scene with SJP because the amount of cringing I do may permanently contort my face.

I developed this Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread for my friends at Boonville Barn Collective. They’re a woman-owned, hand-harvested and sustainably grown farm that produces California-grown dried chilies, beans, olive oil and more. You may have seen their collabs, like Flamingo Estate’s waitlisted Spicy Strawberry Fruit Snacks.

The pumpkin flavor in this gingerbread is not over-pronounced, but adds an earthy balance to the sweet heat. Of course, that hit of chili is the whole objective, but you can leave it out, especially for little eaters.

Note: This post contains no affiliate links

Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

For the Bread:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp Piment d’Ville, plus more for topping

• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

• ¼ tsp fine sea salt

• ⅛ tsp ground cloves

• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp molasses

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1-2 Tbsp milk

• Pinch cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8”x4” loaf pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk pumpkin, eggs, oil, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla.

3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain (be careful not to overmix). Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top.

4. Bake for 60-75 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing onto a rack to cool completely.

5. For the glaze, whisk confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and enough milk for a smooth, pourable consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread. Sprinkle with more chili (as much as you like) and pumpkin seeds. Store tightly wrapped for up to 5 days on the counter. Freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months.

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Riffs:

• Swap in gluten-free 1:1 AP flour for regular AP

• Swap in 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice for all the spices.

• No Piment d’Ville? Skip it for a milder flavor, or try adding a small pinch of cayenne.

• Swap evoo for avocado oil or melted coconut oil. I have not tested this with melted butter, but I know the flavor it would impart (particularly browned butter) would be great.

• To keep this dairy-free, swap in lemon juice for the milk in the glaze (I love the combination of ginger + lemon) or use non-dairy milk.

• You can also bake these in muffin tins or mini loaf pans. Expect a shorter bake time.

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A Quick Little Gift Guide

No affiliate links here

Tallow Skincare: Oakland’s Summer Solace is a tallow-based skincare brand created by a chef. I love their bar soap (thanks, Meleyna!) but I’m also intrigued by their hand balm and candles. Order direct on their site or Nordstrom. Bay Area locals: find them at the Grand Lake and Temescal Farmers Markets.

Ina’s Coconut Cake: You still have time to order Ina Garten’s iconic coconut cake. It’s a death-row dessert for me. DIY option: make it at home and ask your local bakery to sell (or give) you a cake box, or pick one up at a craft store.

Luxury Beauty: Sarah Creal’s line for over-40 skin is on my list for my sister turning the big 4-0 this month. Available at Sephora.

Good Olive Oil: A nice bottle of olive oil is always a good idea. I love Fat Gold, a women-owned brand owned locally here in the Bay. They also have soap and lip balm to stuff the stockings. Locals: find them at Market Hall, Preserved and most other specialty food stores. NYC: they’re at Big Night.

Perfect Fruit: Frog Hollow Farm grows truly legendary fruit here in the Bay. Shop fresh and dried fruit, jams, gift baskets and more. Locals: visit them at the Ferry Building Farmers Market.

The Gift of Content: how about an annual subscription to NY Mag, NYT Cooking, Audible, or a few Substack newsletters? *ahem*

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