Chef Ray's Creamy Pumpkin Bread
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounce package Meijer brand cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Meijer brand granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons Meijer brand all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
Pumpkin Bread:
1 cup pecans
3 1/2 cups Meijer brand all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Meijer brand baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups Meijer brand granulated white sugar
1 cup Meijer brand unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 - 15 ounce can of Meijer brand pure pumpkin *
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter and lightly flour two - 9 by 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Set aside.
To toast nuts: Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Cool completely and then chop coarsely. Set aside.
Cream Cheese Filling: In your food processor or hand mixer, process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing until well incorporated. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Set aside.
Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. (A few streaks of flour are fine.) Do not over mix as it will make the bread tough.
Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter. Bake the breads for about 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
* Want to be adventurous this year? Try making the pumpkin puree yourself. All you need is 2 smaller pie pumpkins which are usually around 4-7 pounds. Cut the pumpkin in half, clean out the seeds and place them on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour until the pumpkin is soft. All you need to do now is scoop out the fresh pulp and puree for 60 seconds.
