Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Bread

About 7 months ago I created a Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread recipe and I fell deeply in love! I know I had to “crunchify” all my quick bread recipes now and with it being Fall it’s pumpkin’s turn. What’s not to like? Moist (sorry…I know a lot of people hate that word but what else do you say? Lol) and lightly spiced cake made even better with the crunch of cinnamon sugar and butter. 

Of course, you could always skip the butter and cinnamon sugar exterior (but why would you??) because the pumpkin bread on its own is delicious.  This recipe yields two loaves so you could always cinnamon sugar one and leave the other plain. When left plain it’s great served warm with a little butter. 

This bread is extra moist with just a half cup of oil (for two loafs!) because of the pumpkin and applesauce. I also tent the bread lightly with foil while it cools which locks in the moisture even more. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Bread 

1- 15oz can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

4 eggs

1/2 cup neutral tasting oil

1 1/2 cup applesauce 

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1 tb Vanilla extract 

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp nutmeg 

1 tsp ginger I

Coating

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 stick Butter, melted 

Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, oil, sugars, and vanilla until well combined. 

In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and gently fold to combine. Do not overmix or your bread will be tough. (This goes for all quick breads) 

•Preheat oven to 325 and prepare two 9x5 loaf pans with nonstick spray or shortening. 

•Divide the batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until the center is completely set and a toothpick comes out clean. Low and slow is the way to keep your bread from getting to dark and crispy before it is cooked all the way through. 

•Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack

*Optional Step* Lightly tent the loaves on the cooling rack with foil until cool. This helps lock in moisture. 

•Mix your cinnamon and granulated sugar together and transfer to a plate or container large enough for an entire loaf to fit into. 

•Brush your loaf with melted butter and roll and press it into the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating the top and sides of the loaf. 

•I like to give the sides of the loaf just one coating, but 2-3 coats of butter and sugar on the top of the bread. Do whatever you prefer! I like a thick, crunchy sugar crust on top. I also like to end with butter brushed on the top of the bread. This will keep the cinnamon sugar from sprinkling off and “glues” the crust in place so to speak. 

That One Soup From that Chain Restaurant with the Endless Salad & Breadsticks

 As the title states, this is my version of that one soup from that one chain restaurant with the endless salad and mediocre breadsticks. Every time I say that people recoil in disbelief but I just don’t get the hype over the bread.  Oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

About the soup, I’ve actually never even had it from the restaurant. I’ve probably only even eaten there 4 times in my 32 years of life and and it’s been at least since I was a teenager. Even though I’ve never had it, I’ve sure heard a lot about their Tuscan soup, so I decided to make it at home. 

I looked up copycat recipes to get an idea but bumped up the flavor. Based on the ingrendients listed I felt like it needed a little boost. Now, I can’t say how mine compares to the actual restaurant version, but I can say that everyone loves it. Whenever I make it people ask for the recipe and The Boy LOVES. Yesterday, there was a cold snap here in Phoenix and it was only 93 degrees, so I broke out my Dutch oven to make it. 

Hope you enjoy it! 

My Version of Zuppa Toscano

1 pound bacon, medium diced 

1 pound Italian sausage

1 Onion, medium diced 

4 Cloves garlic, minced 

2 tsp. Dried basil

2 tsp. Italian seasoning 

2 1/2 pounds peeled and medium diced potatoes

2-48oz boxes chicken broth (12 cups)

1 tsp. Red pepper flake (optional. Or use spicy Italian sausage)

1 cup heavy creamy 

5 tb. Cornstarch mixed with 5 tb water (optional)

3 handfuls of torn or roughly chopped kale, thick stems removed (you can also use frozen chopped kale or spinach)

Pepper to taste 

2 tsp. Kosher salt**

•In your soup pot, crisp the diced bacon. Remove the crisped bacon and let drain on paper towels, reserving for later.

•Crumble and brown the Italian sausage in the bacon fat. 

•After the sausage is cooked, add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent. 

•At this point, drain any excess fat. 

•Stir in your minced garlic, basil, and Italian seasoning and stir cooking for about a minute letting it become fragrant but not letting the garlic brown. 

•Pour in your broth and stir in the red pepper flakes and potatoes. 

•Bring to a boil and let simmer until potatoes are soft, then pour in the cream. 

•Mix your 5 tb of cornstarch with equal parts water to create a slurry. Pour this into the boiling soup. This is optional, but I like this additional step. It won’t thicken it enough to be like a chowder, it will still be more of a brothy soup. However, it adds just just enough body to help it coat the potatoes and other ingredients and acts as an emulsifier with any remaining fat. It also Keeps the broth and cream emulsified together as well .

•Season with pepper to taste and kosher salt

**I ended up using 2 tsp Kosher salt but it all depends on how salty your bacon and broth are.  Start with less and season to taste. 

•Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved bacon and the kale. The residual heat will wilt the kale but keep the vibrant green color.