Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread
Dorcas Annette Walker

This year I added a topping of Carmel syrup, cool whip, and chopped pecans on my pumpkin pie and was amazed at the results. I took my pumpkin pie to a church Thanksgiving Sunday dinner. As usual the dessert table was full and so I only took a little sliver of my pie figuring that there would be some left while I sampled several of the other desserts. When I went to pick up my pie it was completely gone! The speed in which my pumpkin pie disappeared, you can be sure that I will be adding this topping to my pumpkin pies from now on. I also took a loaf of my Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread and ended up with barely enough out of two loaves to get a picture. Although Thanksgiving is over this recipe is an ideal gift for the Christmas season. Homemade baked goods are always a hit during gift exchanges. The neat thing about my Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread is the fact that it is so easy to make yet it oozes with the homemade touch.

Nutmeg is a seed from an evergreen tree that grows up to 25 feet producing both nutmeg and mace. The history of nutmeg goes back to the 1st century and was used for headaches, fever, bad breath, boils, broken bones, stomach ailments, and self-abortions. Tucking nutmeg into the left armpit before attending a social event was believed to attract admirers. Nutmeg was also rumored to ward off the plague, danger, or evil so people carried nutmegs everywhere. If you think the spice of nutmeg is expensive today, consider the fact that a few hundred years ago having a small box of nutmeg in your possession would have given you enough money to be financially independent for the rest of your life! During the middle ages the Arabs had the monopoly of the spice trade. In 1951 the Europeans discovered Portugal. Nutmeg trees were native to this area- a virtual goldmine. Portugal contained the growth of nutmeg trees spiking its price. A century later the Dutch gained control and were even more possessive by treating the seeds. Nutmeg trees still spread into other nearby islands due to birds scattering the seeds. The Dutch monopoly ended when the French smuggled nutmeg seeds out of Portugal and started their own nutmeg plantations. Today the state of Connecticut’s nickname is the nutmeg so gotten from legends of some unscrupulous Connecticut traders who would whittle wood to represent nutmeg and sell it as the spice. The term a wooden nutmeg meant fraud. Nutmeg is used in many different desserts such as: pies, puddings, tarts, custards, and cakes. It also enhances the flavor of coffee and is used to flavor dips and cheeses. Soups, curries, eggnog, and spiced wines are not complete without a dash of nutmeg. The oil from nutmeg is used in toothpaste and cough syrups and is known for easing toothache or muscle pain.

My Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread recipe takes only ten minutes to prepare and makes two large loaves. For holiday loafs you can use smaller loaf pans. The Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread has a moist pumpkin texture with a slight nutty flavor and is filled with miniature chocolate pockets throughout the loaf. This dessert is an unforgettable culinary treat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Nut Bread

Beat together in a large bowl:
1 (29 oz) can of pumpkin
3 c sugar
4 eggs
½ c cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla
Add:
3 c self-rising flour
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cloves
Mix thoroughly and then fold in:
2 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped pecans
Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350º for one hour. Turn loaves out of pans onto wire racks, cover, and let cool. Wrap with plastic wrap to store. You can also freeze the extra loaf for later!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake
Dorcas Annette Walker

Last week I gave you a more complicated and time-consuming pumpkin dessert than usual. This week’s dessert, a Pumpkin Spice Cake is simplicity in itself that I discovered almost by mistake. I’m always amazed at places where recipes pop up and this one instantly caught my eye. I do follow directions, uh… at least some of the time. This brings to my mind an incident about making a cake when I was a teenager. I can’t remember the incident why a younger girl than the usual friends of my sister and I was at our house. What I do recall was that I was in the kitchen mixing up cake batter and this girl was watching me when she asked, Do you always beat your cakes that long? For an instant I didn’t know what she was talking about as I always beat a cake mix for two to three minutes with our electric mixer. I replied that I beat the batter however long the directions said. To my surprise the girl said that they mixed their cakes up with a spoon before dumping it into a pan. For dessert that evening we had my finished cake. The girl went into raptures over how light and fluffy it was and how high it rose. My sister and I joked later that maybe if her mother beat her cake mixes the required amount of time their cakes would be light and fluffy too.

Allspice is the dried berry of the allspice tree also known as a pimento tree (Spanish for pepper) that is native to the West Indies and Central America. These trees grow to a height of about thirty feet, have aromatic glossy green leaves and white flowers, and are part of the myrtle tree family. The allspice fruit is picked when it is green and unripe and traditionally it is sun dried. The name allspice was coined by the English who thought the flavor combined several aromatic spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Before World War II allspice was more widely used. In the 19th century, Russian soldiers put allspice in their boots to help keep their feet warm. During the war many allspice trees were cut down and production never fully recovered. Today most allspice is produced in Jamaica but other sources include Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Allspice is used in pickling, baking, salads, condiments such as ketchup, commercial sausage preparations, curry powder, barbecue sauces, chewing gum, ice cream, and soft drinks. The fruit and leaf oils are used in men’s toiletries, deodorant, and cosmetics. In Jamaica they use allspice leaves to cook jerked meats and the Mayans use allspice as an embalming agent. The Caribbean Arawak Indians use the allspice wood to cure meat. To substitute allspice, combine equal parts of: ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper.

My Pumpkin Spice Cake is perfect for the holiday rush when you need a dessert fast. I simplified a few steps and presto a nifty cake evolved. The Pumpkin Spice Cake’s moist, mild spice taste and velvet texture make it an instant winner. The finishing touch is the cream cheese icing. This is one recipe I plan to keep handy. Preparation time for the Pumpkin Spice Cake is only ten minutes and this dessert serves eighteen.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

1 spice cake mix (any brand)
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 can prepared cream cheese frosting
Follow spice cake mix directions adding the can of pumpkin. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake at 350º for thirty-five minutes. Cover and cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting and serve. Refrigerate to store. May garnish with chopped pecans!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Roll
Dorcas Annette Walker

A decorative dessert to set off your Thanksgiving holiday is the Pumpkin Roll. The first time I saw a picture of a Pumpkin Roll I was intrigued yet hesitant to try such a sophisticated dessert. It wasn’t until years later that I took the plunge and made one. My recipe for a Pumpkin Roll sat hidden for years among other recipes until my daughter, Dawn, asked me for it after she was married. Once again I discovered the recipe and tried to remember how I had made it- as I usually end up changing something. Dawn’s Pumpkin Roll turned out great and she began making more for different church functions surprised at how easy a Pumpkin Roll is to make. A Pumpkin Roll is a rarity so you can be sure that any you make will be an instant hit. Not only is a Pumpkin Roll an attractive focal point, but this dessert with a blend of spices is delicious too.

Cloves are native to the Molucaa Islands, which is now part of Indonesia. The native tradition was to plant a clove tree upon the birth of a child. This spice was one of the first to be traded dating as far back as 1721 BC. Not only did the Romans prize this commodity but the Chinese were said to have used cloves as far back as 226 BC. In order to have an audience with the Emperor, one had to chew a few flowerettes to sweeten the breath. Arab traders introduced cloves to Europe in the 4th century. By the 16th century Portugal controlled the trade in cloves and other spices. In the 17th century the Dutch took over and kept the price of cloves high by burning down clove trees causing bloody uprisings with the native islanders. In the 1800’s the British opened the trade in cloves by planting clove trees in Zanzibar, which is now the largest exporter of cloves in the world. The clove tree is an evergreen having large oval leaves and clusters of crimson flowers. These flower clusters are first pale, gradually turn green, and then develop to bright red when they are harvested before the flower buds open and dried. Cloves are used in Eastern cultures for medicinal properties for toothaches, digestive problems, headaches, earaches, cough, and muscle spasms. The oil is used for styes, ulcers, and skin sores. Cloves can be used whole or in a ground form but are extremely strong, pungent, and sweet so are used sparingly. Mexican and Indian cuisine uses cloves. The north Indian cuisine uses cloves in almost every sauce or side dish and it is also a key ingredient in tea. South India uses cloves to flavor rice. Ground cloves add spicy depth to gingerbread, cookies, applesauce, muffins, cakes, and other sweets and are often the secret ingredient in barbecue and cocktail sauces.

This recipe makes one Pumpkin Roll and will serve twelve. Total preparation time is about two-and-one-half-hours from start to finish. Although a Pumpkin Roll takes longer to make the steps are simple and uncomplicated. The Pumpkin Roll is a festive holiday dessert and one that will bring raves with the blend of a thin, mild, pumpkin spice cake exterior wrapped around a creamy cheese filling.

Pumpkin Roll

Beat together until smooth:
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
Add:
1 c self-rising flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp allspice
Pour onto a greased wax paper covering a 10 x 15 inch baking tray with an edge. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a clean towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Gently peel off the wax paper and then roll up the cake in the towel. Cool for one hour.

Filling:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
½ stick of butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
Beat until smooth. Unroll the pumpkin cake and spread evenly with filling. Roll up again, cover, and refrigerate for one hour before slicing and serving. Garnish with powdered sugar!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Pumpkin Nut Crisp

Pumpkin Nut Crisp
Dorcas Annette Walker

Autumn has arrived in a blaze of colors here on the mountains of Tennessee. Cooler temperatures and crisp breezes invigorate the atmosphere. Everywhere you go there are creative fall decorations in front of businesses and homes. Invariably among the straw bales of hay and pots of mums in dazzling arrays of fall hues you will see orange pumpkins in all sizes and shapes. We used to grow pumpkins in our garden when our kids were small. On a designated day we’d line up a row of pumpkins and with sharp knives begin carving up our harvest. Dawn and Dwight would always beg to help make faces for the jack-o-lanterns. They considered themselves quite grownup when they finally were allowed to handle a sharp knife while I hovered around them alternately giving advice and warnings. For some reason though once the jack-o-lanterns were carved and set out on our front porch both of my kids always lost interest in the rest of the pumpkins waiting to be peeled and cut into chunks, which were then cooked, pureed, and froze for future pumpkin pies. By the end of the day I was always relieved when the stack of pumpkins were reduced to quart containers sitting on my counter waiting to be stored in my freezer without any loss of fingers. The aroma of cooking pumpkin in my kitchen signaled that fall had arrived. This month I am going to feature recipes that contain pumpkin, which I’ve discovered along the way. Today most cooks buy canned pumpkin from the local grocery store- even my own daughter has been guilty of such time saving tactics. So grab some pumpkin, heat up your oven, and let’s get started on some holiday baking.

Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree native to South India. There is a more common kind that grows wild all over China and other parts of East Asia dating back in Chinese writings to 2800 B.C. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in embalming processes. Medieval physicians used cinnamon in medicines to treat coughing and sore throats. Cinnamon was also valued for its preservatives qualities for meat. In the first century cinnamon was fifteen times the value of sliver per weight and was used as currency. As a sign of remorse, Roman Emperor Nero ordered a year’s supply of cinnamon to be burnt after he murdered his wife. In the 17th century the Dutch seized the island of Ceylon, which was the world’s largest supplier and became a monopoly of the prized spice. By 1833 the downfall of the cinnamon monopoly began when other countries found out that cinnamon could be easily grown in tropical climates. Today cinnamon is one of the most well known and popular spices used in baking.

My Pumpkin Nut Crisp is a quick and easy dessert to start out the holiday season. I’ve combined a couple of recipes with a blend of spices to make this Pumpkin Nut Crisp. So stock up on your pumpkin supply as this dessert will quickly become a favorite to eat and make. My Pumpkin Nut Crisp recipe only takes around ten minutes to prepare and serves sixteen.

Pumpkin Nut Crisp

1 large can of pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp allspice
Mix together thoroughly in a medium bowl and pour into a greased 9 x 12 baking dish.
Sprinkle a dry yellow cake mix on top.
Drizzle one stick of melted butter over cake mix.
Finish by sprinkling one cup of chopped pecans over the top.
Bake at 350º for one hour.
You can serve the Pumpkin Nut Crisp warm or let chill. May garnish with a dollop of cool whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.