Chef Franco Lania – Autumn inspiration
Pumpkins are a huge part of Autumn and the changing of the seasons. Not to mention that they begin to open our eyes to Jack o’ Lantern and Halloween.
For most chefs and avid cooks alike there is no better time of the year!
Lonataka Brook Reserve (Morristown, NJ)
Fall is a time for reflection. Reflecting on the year that is almost over, with still enough time left to accomplish many things that we need or want to get done before the year ends. This makes Fall an extremely productive time.
It can also be a little “pedal to the metal” time on trying to reach those goals that we have not yet accomplished for this year while we look ahead to the holidays that are just around the corner.
As for chefs and all lovers of cooking, fall is also a great time of the year for baking!
Baking things that we normally don’t get a chance to any other time of the year. Not only is baking something to look forward to in autumn, but it also leaves our home, kitchen, and/or restaurant full of the perfumes from the exotic spices that enhance almost all autumn-inspired dishes.
Cinnamon, clove, anise, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla to name a few. All come into play in a very big way during the fall and baking along with them can be very exciting!
Pumpkin Bread with a Philadelphia Cream Cheese Swirl
Exciting over the simple fact that we are using spices and baking as another way to celebrate autumn and enjoy its positive energies along with all its culinary delights and beauty.
Pumpkin Bread with Philadelphia Cream Cheese Swirl
Have fun making the pumpkin bread below. Can you already smell its delicious aroma?
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup -pumpkin puree
- 1 cup – brown sugar
- 1/2 cup – sugar
- 3 – eggs
- 1/4 cup – milk
- 5 Tbsp. – butter
- 2 3/4 cups – flour
- 2 tsp. – baking powder
- 2 tablespoons – cinnamon
- 8 oz. – Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 – egg
- 1/3 cup – sugar
Procedure:
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin, brown sugar, sugar, 3 eggs, milk, butter, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon until well-mixed. In a second bowl, beat together cream cheese, egg, and sugar.
- Generously grease and flour a large bread pan.
- Spoon a thin layer of the pumpkin batter into the bottom of the bread pan.
- Make a well in the center of the bread and spoon half the cream cheese filling inside.
- Cover with another pumpkin batter, then swirl the rest of the cream cheese into that layer before covering all signs of cream cheese with one last layer of pumpkin batter.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a toothpick poked into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Let the pumpkin bread cool, once removed from the oven, in its baking tin. Once it is cool enough to handle turn it out. This is absolutely delicious with simply a cup of coffee or your favorite tea. The aromas from the cooking this pumpkin bread should have you smiling from ear to ear!