Pumpkin Cornbread

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN CORNBREAD ~ this luscious pumpkin and spice quick bread is the first thing I make every fall, it's the perfect side dish to soups, stews, and chilis.  It's a must on your Thanksgiving and holiday tables, too! Cornbread is one of the easier things to make, which must be why it's such a Thanksgiving day staple, you can throw it together amid all the chaos with your eyes closed.   But who among us hasn't choked on a big old chunk of the stuff?  First you cough, and the little dry crumbs get caught in your throat as you gasp for air, then you try to salvage the situation by taking a big gulp of red wine and then...you know the rest.  But mercifully, this recipe solves all that.  That's my HOT PEPPER HONEY being drizzled down over it.  They proved to be a winning combination. I'm a pumpkin fanatic, and I try to wedge it into as many recipes as I can think of this time of year.  But if you're not careful everything you make will end up tasting like pumpkin pie.  I avoid using too much of the classic pie spices in my savory pumpkin

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal or polenta
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cardamom (use cinnamon or ginger if you prefer)
• ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs ((beaten))
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp molasses
• ⅓ cup buttermilk (or milk)

Method

1. Set the oven to 400F
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, try to smooth out any brown sugar lumps.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a larger bowl. Add the dry to the wet, and mix until just combined.
4. Turn into a buttered 9 inch spring form pan, (you could also use an 8×8 square pan) spreading out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you’re using the 8×8 pan, make sure the center is cooked through.
5. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and serve warm.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island