October means two things to me: pumpkin and apple. Luckily, those ingredients actually go together! Like in this Pumpkin Apple Bread. You use canned pumpkin in the batter — although have you seen those articles that say that canned pumpkin is really squash? The horror! — and then fold in chunks of delicious, diced apple right before baking. I never let the autumn go by without making this recipe at least once, in part because I enjoy seeing my husband’s willpower crumble like the cinnamon streusel that tops this sweet and spicy pumpkin apple bread.
That’s right, I said sweet and spicy because instead of the usual cinnamon and cloves, I flavor my pumpkin apple bread with garam masala, a northern Indian spice mix that includes cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and black pepper. (Garam masala means “warm spice mix,” but that does not mean that the mix is overwhelmingly spicy. Rather, “warm” refers to the Ayuverdic belief that these ingredients raise the temperature of the body.)
Garam masala is sweet enough to work well in baked goods while the earthiness of the cumin and coriander and the slight heat from the pepper add another layer of interest. You can find garam masala in better spice stores or better yet, make your own blend using toasted, whole spices. There is a pretty good recipe for homemade garam masala, if I do say so myself, in my cookbook, Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving.
In addition to baking with it, you can use garam masala to finish your favorite South Asian dishes. Whenever I made a simple lentil dal, vegetable biryani, or any other Indian-inspired dish, I always finish it with some of the homemade garam masala that I keep in my spice cupboard. It is one of those ingredients that takes a short time to make, perhaps on the weekend when you have some extra time, and then can elevate your cooking for weeks afterward.
The great thing about this recipe — which I adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook — is that it makes two loaves. One to keep and one to give away. Or one to eat and one to freeze for later. That’s definitely a time-saver!
Happy fall!
Ingredients
- 3 oz cold butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 15 oz can pumpkin
- 3/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
- 3/4 brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 apples, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two loaf pans.
- Make the streusel by combing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Cover and place the bowl in the freezer while you make the batter for the pumpkin bread.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, garam masala and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil and sugars. Mix until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and blend until combined.
- Fold in the diced apple.
- Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Top each with the streusel topping.
- Bake loaves for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan.
I have garam marsala in my spice collection, so I may have to give this a try. Thanks, Emily!
Geez. I can really spell. Garam Masala. There. 😉