Seeing that that project is a bit of a surprise for my parents and I am not quite sure if Big Bern actually reads this even though he has the link...you will have to wait for the big reveal until next week after they arrive. The other things on the list were: bake, laundry, get a pedicure, get a new tattoo and partake in some adult beverages.
Well since it is only 10 and nothing is really open when you still wake up at the crack of dawn - I decided to do some baking. Now this is not the huge amount of baking that I will more than likely tackle this afternoon for the RAKK's, but instead for my friends at All About the Dogs Grooming (http://www.allaboutthedogspetwash.com) I started going there about 7 years ago when I first moved to this side of town and since then well....they became my buddies. The way they care for my pups is well...fabulous!
Ingrid (AKA Taco) is preggers and posted the other day that she was craving pumpkin things and I have this great recipe for crockpot pumpkin bread.. Yes you read that correctly bread in the crockpot! So are you ready for this recipe??
Here we go....its super simple and this is one of the best pumpkin breads that I have had that isn't my moms! As we start getting closer to the fall I start buying canned pumpkin as part of the weekly shopping list - this way when everyone else finally gets into fall flavors and the shit can't be found on the shelves I am stocked up and ready to go! I also started getting the disposable bread pans both the mini loaf (3 pack) and regular loaf (2 pack)- they are super cheap and can be found at your Wal-Mart. This way I can make and just deliver I do not need the pan back, and I don't have to worry about fancy packaging. When you see how easy this recipe is you will want these pans because this is a great way to make things for a lot of people with minimal effort - but lots of love! :)
I am sure that you have picked up by now that I do a lot of baking which can get expensive if you are consistently running to the grocery store - so I buy a lot of things in bulk. I am fortunate that I have storage but one way that I found I could keep all of these things fresh was to put them in giant bins on the top of my fridge. They also prove to be a great arm workout when full - maybe I should start lifting the bins up for each cookie made!
Lets get the sugars ready to go for this pumpkin bread
Get it all in the mixer...
Add your egg, oil and pumpkin... this year I found these little gems which are perfect for many recipes as they only call for 8 ounces of pumpkin but they are also a bit pricey. So if you were buying the 15 ounce can's you could double this recipe so things don't go to waste.
Start that mixer up...
Now get out that flour - see another giant bin of goodness - remember that you add the flour in to any recipe nice and slow. I try to only use a half cup at a time and make sure that it is fully incorporated into the wet ingredients before adding the next half cup. Don't overwork it though or it will turn out crappy!
Now its time to grease you pan - and pour the batter into it... I don't use Pam or anything like that - I go back to my trusty oil spritzer and use olive oil for this. It has never changed the taste of anything which was my biggest concern.
This is what your loaf should look like before going into the crockpot. Now if you use the mini pans you will be able to get 3 out of this recipe. I did this last fall for all of my neighbors - I also have a multitude of crockpots so I can knock out at least 6 loaves at a time. When I am making the mini loaves I start by putting a half cup of batter in each pan then just going back with another half cup until the pans are filled. This way the first one doesn't end up being the biggest with the others lacking!
Now for the fun part - getting your crockpot ready to go. I bought this one last year on sale and yes it was a little more expensive but I wanted one that had a timer - this one not only has a timer but a few other features that are great for me! We actually did the Thanksgiving ham in here last year while the turkey was in the oven. http://www.cuisinart.com/ipad/products/slow_cookers_rice_cookers/msc-800
It has a nice little rack for steaming which I use to put the loaf pan on - but you can just set yours on the bottom of the crockpot if you do not have this. The first time I made this bread I did not have this crockpot I used my oval one - and it worked just the same.
Now I put the pan on the rack and get the paper towels ready
The bread is actually being steamed - which creates one of the most moist breads I have ever had. I have also added chocolate chips to the mixture and sprinkled extra sugar/cinnamon on the top before serving. The paper towels are to grab the extra moisture that will accumulate on the lid from falling back on the bread. The towels will be soaked when the bread is done and if you are pulling the loaf out immediately please be careful they will also be very hot. I wonder if you could use them as a facial mask! haha!
Here is what your crockpot should look like...
I set the timer for 3 hours and away we go. The nice thing about doing the bread this way is that you can still use your stove for other things like cookies - or dinner - yes it does take 3 hours but doesn't need anything extra, plus in the summer it won't add to the already hot house!
Hopefully it will turn out and Taco will be one happy soon to be mama when I drop this off later today! Here is the recipe for this one
http://www.food.com/recipe/crockpot-pumpkin-bread-485913
Knowing though that David also requested some cakebatter cookies I utilized my time and knocked those out too. My mom always used to make sure that Kel and I were treated equally so I guess I should do the same with my friends... Here are David's cookies (note I left and went to Starbucks before starting this one)
Mix everything together
Drop on cookie sheet - bake at 350 for 10 minutes and you get this.....
Pretty sure I see some happy people here shortly!
Well I am off to get these Fred Flintstone toes looking better!!! TGIF everyone... I will be back in the kitchen later so stay tuned for more recipes! Until then .... Happy Cookin'
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