Embracing Pumpkin Spice Season with a Hearthside Pumpkin Bread with Whiskey Glaze

 

As the crisp air of autumn creeps in and the leaves begin to turn, there’s no better way to welcome pumpkin spice season than by filling your home with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked pumpkin goods. The scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves wafting through the kitchen instantly transforms any space into a cozy haven. This Hearthside Pumpkin Loaf, studded with chocolate morsels and crunchy pecans, is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Whether you’re hosting a fall gathering or simply craving a slice of something indulgent, this loaf delivers all the flavors of autumn in every bite.

Hearthside Pumpkin Loaf with Fireball Whiskey Glaze

 For the Loaf:

½ c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1¾ c. flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. kosher salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

½ t. ground nutmeg

¼ t. ground ginger

¼ t. ground cloves

1/8 t. ground allspice

¾ c. pumpkin purée

¾ c. milk chocolate morsels

¾ c. chopped pecans, divided

For the Glaze:

½ c. sifted powdered sugar

1 T. Fireball whiskey

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

  

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan or spray with Baker’s Joy.

Cream butter in a large bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating well until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels and ½ c. pecans. Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ c. pecans.

 Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the glaze.

Combine sifted powdered sugar, whiskey, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cooled loaf.

This pumpkin loaf is perfect for breakfast, a cozy afternoon snack, or even as a homemade gift for friends and family during the fall season. The combination of warm spices, sweet pumpkin, and rich chocolate makes it a crowd-pleaser every time. 

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Hummingbird Cake

 

In Jamaica, where this cake originated, it is referred to as Doctor Bird Cake, named for the island’s national bird, the scissors-tail hummingbird. In 1968, hopeful of increasing tourism, the Jamaican Board of Tourism exported the recipe in media press kits sent to the United States. The recipe found its way into the February 1978 issue of Southern Living Magazine, was a huge hit with readers, and later that year won the Favorite Cake Award at the Kentucky State Fair.

I am not a particular fan of hummingbird cake; there is something about bananas and pineapple both, in a cake, that doesn’t appeal to me. But, it is one of my daughter-in-law’s favorites, and her birthday was July 1. In my family, you get what you want on your birthday, so I spent the last day of June (the hottest day of the year, thus far, with high humidity), making this cake for her. It’s not difficult to make, it’s just a bit time consuming. I wanted something small and grand, so I baked it in 3 6-inch cake pans. I’m very pleased with the results. My son and daughter-in-law gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up.Hummingbird Cake

2 c. chopped pecans

3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1½ t. ground cinnamon

½ t. allspice

½ t. salt

2 c. mashed bananas (about 4 large ripe)

1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, lightly drained

3 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

¾ c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

 Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

¾ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

5 c. confectioners’ sugar

1 T. milk

2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. salt

 Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread pecans onto a lined baking pan. Toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn oven up to 350°F.

 Spray the heck out of three 6-inch cake pans with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

 Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl.

 Whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Fold in 1 and 1/2 cups toasted pecans. (Reserving the rest for garnish.)

Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack before removing from pans.

 Make the frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. 

 Frost cake and top with remaining chopped pecans. You can get fancy schmancy, or keep it simple.

 Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Butter Pecan Cookies

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I have another cookie recipe for you this week (If you missed last week’s recipe for Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies, you can find it here.) and it’s a winner! The late Mr. O-P used to love butter pecan ice cream. Me, not only am I not a particular fan of butter pecan ice cream, but ice cream, in general, doesn’t wow me...but I digress. I was thinking about him the other day, as I often do. He absolutely loved cookies, and I wondered what it would be like if I were to create a butter pecan cookie in his honor. He would have loved these, and so would have my dad, yet another cookie fanatic. Toasting the pecans makes them wonderfully flavorful, adding butter flavoring, gives these an extra buttery taste. Make up a batch for now, and another to freeze for the holidays.

Butter Pecan Cookies

2 ½ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
½ t. butter extract
2 c. pecans, roughly chopped

In a 9” skillet over medium heat, toast to pecans, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until fragrant.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter for 2 minutes until light and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in extracts. Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Fold in 1 ½ c. of the pecans.

Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F; line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. Using a cookie scoop, mound scoops of dough onto your cookie sheet and top with reserved pecans, pressing pecans down lightly into the dough. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool five minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kick in the Pants Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have gone absolutely nuts over Melissa’s Hatch Chile Pecans. You may recall that I first used them in astoundingly good pesto (the recipe can be found here), then, when I’m not munching on them, have experimented with other recipes. Today I’m sharing one for chocolate chip cookies. Essentially it is your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, with the addition of Red Hatch Chile Pecans. They taste like normal chocolate chip cookies, but leave you breathing fire at the end. OK, so it’s not fire, but it is a nice heat, that gives you quite a kick after the cookie is gone. It will definitely leave your nibblers wondering what on earth you put into these cookies, and they will be back!

Kick in the Pants Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ c. stick Crisco

1¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 extra-large egg

1¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Melissa’s Red Hatch Chile Pecans

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Beat shortening and brown sugar in large bowl on medium speed with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in milk, vanilla, and egg.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir into shortening mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 8 to 13 minutes until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen cookies (more or less)

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Broccoli Pecan Casserole

When I'm serving a plain meat dish, say roast beef, or brisket, or chicken, this meatloaf, or a slice of ham, I like to have a vegetable casserole of some sort as a not-so-boring side. This recipe is one of my favorites because it pairs well with anything, has an unexpectedly sophisticated taste thanks to fresh broccoli and toasted pecans, and pretty much everyone loves it and goes back for more. In fact, let me share with you the time that I last served it.

Recently a friend of my husband's decided to pay us a visit and be our house guest for five days. FIVE. Yeah, I'll just leave it at that. The night of his arrival I prepared a roast beef, mashed potato casserole, and this broccoli dish. Now, he likes to cook, and is quite a talker, and tends to know many things about many things (or thinks that he does) so as he was shoveling the third portion of this casserole onto his plate commented about how much he likes a good recipe and cannot abide anything that contains such mundane ingredients as cream of mushroom soup. A look of panic flashed across Mr. O-P's face as he turned to me for guidance. “I so agree,” I replied, smiling to myself knowingly. Yes, cream of mushroom soup was a main ingredient in nearly every casserole during the 70s, and it's probably not the healthiest thing to add to a dish, but boy does this taste good. Ask the expert!

Broccoli Pecan Casserole

1 large crown of fresh broccoli

1 10¾-ounce can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

¾ cup chopped pecans, toasted

1½ teaspoons dry minced onion

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with vegetable spray (PAM).

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces. Bring a 2-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop broccoli into boiling water, reduce heat slightly, and cook until tender crisp, about 4-5 minutes, depending upon size of the pieces. Drain broccoli; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soup, mayonnaise, and chopped pecans. Whisk in beaten eggs and onions.  Fold broccoli into mixture and turn in to prepared casserole dish.

Sprinkle top with grated cheese. Scatter bread crumbs over the top, and drizzle butter over the crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes.

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