Pumpkin Nutella Bread

It's that time of the year again for...

PUMPKIN!!!

Fall is probably my favorite season and one of those reasons is because of all the delicious pumpkin treats there are to make. Luckily this year we won't be experiencing a pumpkin shortage like last year. And what a better thing to combine pumpkin with than...

NUTELLA!!!

And of course I love a good quick bread so when I saw this recipe I knew that was going to be next on my list for baking. I changed the original up a little bit, using my beloved combo of AP and whole wheat flour for the dry ingredients and adding apple sauce to keep the bread moist. The hardest part was trying to eat all of the Nutella out of the jar. Just the smell of the hazelnuts and chocolate wafting from the container...I couldn't resist a few swipes with my finger.

Not very appetizing...yet.

I love the swirl pattern the Nutella makes on top of the bread. Reminds me of cheesecake brownies.

That's better...looking delicious.

Even better.

Definitely delicious hot out of the oven. I probably should have cooked it a little longer, the bottom was a little gummy but none the less warm, gooey, and completely reminded me how much I love this time of year.

Pumpkin Nutella Bread

(adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients

2/3 cup AP flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/3 cup water

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. Nutella

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8X4 loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: sugar, apple sauce, water, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla.

4. Slowly stir in dry ingredients to wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, making sure the batter in spread evenly. Drop teaspoon sized amounts of Nutella over top of batter. Swirl Nutella into the batter with a knife.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before turning the bread out of the pan to completely cool.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

First day of baking! And as promised, today I made Zucchini Blueberry Bread. I wish blueberries were more in season because the selection was not the best, but the price was right at $2 a pint!

So let me tell you a little story. Just as my love of blogging and baking are meeting here, in my kitchen zucchini...

...met blueberries.

Their meeting happened in a delicious batter with white and whole wheat. (I love that nutty flavor and meaty texture whole wheat flour gives to bread.)

Then off into the oven they went with a little oatmeal and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

After an hour in the over, they came out smelling and looking beautiful.

I've got to say, eating this bread fresh out of the oven is the way to go. The blueberries were juicy and sweet and the bread was moist and warm. I suggest popping this bread in the microwave or toaster oven for a quick second before eating to reheat. Definitely best eaten warm. The addition of the oatmeal on top was also a nice addition and the mixture of whole wheat and AP flour gave this bread a really great texture. The bread was also super moist from all the delicious zucchini and substitution of applesauce instead of oil.

The possibilities are endless with this bread. Don't like blueberries? I bet cherries would be delicious too. Nuts could also be a nice addition. Or you could go all natural and strictly make a basic zucchini bread. Good first pick! Can't want to pick the next recipe to try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Also, if you decide to try out this recipe, I'd love to hear how it goes and see pictures!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

(adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Ingredients

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup applesauce (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup vegetable oil, but I like the moisture applesauce gives to quick breads as opposed to vegetable oil)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 brown sugar, lightly packed (I used dark brown sugar because I thought the extra bit of molasses would add some good flavor)

1 cup shredded zucchini

3/4 cup AP flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tbsp. oatmeal (optional)

Method

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a loaf pan.

2. In a mixer, beat together wet ingredients: eggs, applesauce, vanilla and sugars. Fold in the zucchini.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Slowly beat into wet ingredients, scraping down the sides until thoroughly combined. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with oatmeal if desired. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto cooling rack to completely cool.