That bite in the air. The clear blue sky against the purple Ochil Hills. The sickly sweet pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. Mali tentatively poking his head outside the open back door, sniffing out the cold air, and deciding against walking outside today. My tartan stole and homemade knitted baby blue scarf. All my favourite TV shows back for another series. My first pumpkin delivered in my weekly veg bag.
It’s autumn.
I’m bouncing with excitement. The other day at work, a colleague greeted me at the door and remarked it was colder today, to which I replied: ‘I know! It’s great!’ (Except it’s freezing in the office, which is not great.)
Like spring after a drawn-out, dreary February, I feel rejuvenated. Summer is wonderful – especially in Scotland, where you get nearly 20 hours of light a day, brambles grow along the River Forth for peckish walkers to pick, and we get a month-long cultural festival in Edinburgh (The Fringe) – but I can’t stand it for long. It’s the heat, you see. I’m like an overdressed Victorian middle-class snob, fanning herself feverishly as she lounges underneath a parasol, complaining to everyone with ears about the heat. Autumn is a welcome breath of fresh air after a short but much-enjoyed summer.
I just feel alive. Hopeful. Chipper. (I know, me, chipper!) There’s just so much to enjoy, all things pumpkin spice being top on the list.
If you detest all the pumpkin madness, I am sorry (that you are such a miserable person), and want to prepare for what is coming next: many, many pumpkin recipes. #sorrynotsorry
Pumpkin Breakfast Loaf with Chocolate Drizzle
Notes: The chocolate drizzle doesn’t look amazing in these pictures, because I’d tried making it with vegan butter, and the result was disappointing. It’s much, much better without it. Just chocolate + maple syrup makes a thick, syrupy drizzle. On another note, this loaf isn’t too sweet, and can be made with wholemeal flour. If you want to serve it for dessert, you can add a few tablespoons of raw cane sugar.
For the pumpkin loaf:
225g (1.5 cups) plain (wholemeal) flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (The Kitchn has a good recipe for it)
125ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
75ml (1/3 cup) coconut oil, melted
250ml (1 cup) pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
2 tbsp non-dairy milk of choice
For the chocolate drizzle:
50g (1.75 oz) dark chocolate
1 tbsp maple syrup
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC and grease a loaf tin.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre; place all the wet ingredients in the well, then fold them in.
3. Pour the batter into the loaf tin, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
4. Chop or break the chocolate and add it to a small saucepan, along with the maple syrup. On moderate heat, melt the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Set aside to cool a little, but not too long; you should ideally pour it over the loaf in the next ten minutes, while the chocolate is still runny but cool enough to set.
Keep covered with a cloth or stored in the bread tin for up to 3 days.
How does autumn make you feel?
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Love and cookies,
That loaf looks so very good. I was just about to pin it when I noted that the summer fairies are not quite ready to leave. In fact are being quite mischievous with your recipe in a transparent attempt to make the autumn fairies look bad. Best speak to Mab about this. 🙂
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I’m not sure I understand what you mean?
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So much for trying to be clever. If you look above you’ll see that your recipe got broken up with the first few ingredients in the box, then some more prose, then some more recipe. It looks like such a lovely loaf but I’m confused. Thanks for taking a peek.
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It’s fixed now! Thanks for letting me know, the error didn’t show up in preview mode so must have happened after I hit the publish button.
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Computers are weird that way. I still think Queen Mab had something to do with it. Thanks for fixing it. I’m going to Pin it and hope to be able to give it a go next week. 😉
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I am super excited to make this! My household are going pumpkin picking today so it must be fate 🙂
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Yay! Wonderful! I wish I knew somewhere to go pumpkin picking, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day 🙂
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I’m so 100% with you on your feelings about summer/autumn. Everyone thinks I’m crazy that I’m happy for the cold weather and for summer to be over! This is my absolute favorite time of year and the yummy recipes make it all the better. I can’t wait to try this pumpkin loaf, just need to get to the store and get some pumpkin puree! p.s. I am so jealous you live in Scotland, I dream of visiting there someday (although I probably wouldn’t come back home!)
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Great minds think alike!
Come to Scotland! EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL IN SCOTLAND.
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Great recipe! Feel absolutely the same about summer… and autumn!!!=)
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Mmm, lovely flavour combinations going on there! I don’t love autumn or winter, but that is literally just because of the cold. All the colours changing outside and things are lovely – and I must confess, I really enjoy the build-up to Christmas…
Not to mention Halloween. SO many fond memories of this festival, yet I feel I’ve been deprived of it since starting university! This year I’m going to be celebrating it on both the 30th AND the 31st to make up. The fact that my sister’s coming down to stay during that time gives me a perfect excuse to make some treats too:D
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My love for colder weather is being strongly tried at the moment, the office where I work seems to be sub-zero temperatures but looks like I’m the only one feeling the cold!
I’m looking forward to making lots of Christmas treats too, and sharing them with you guys of course 🙂
Thanks, Shonalika, your comments are always valued here! xoxo
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I made this yesterday & loved it! the chocolate maple syrup drizzle over the top took this cake to a whole other level! Delightful! x
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