This pumpkin pear bread, with oat and brown rice flours, is a rich, flavorful quick bread that feels like dessert for breakfast. Are You Here for The Food? Pumpkin Pear Bread…
I meant to share these photos and this Dutch Christmas Bread recipe last year, but as so often happens, I was busy, and the season passed too quickly. However, as Christmas and Hanukah rolled around this year, I started reminiscing about the book and our brunch. The sentiment behind it felt even more meaningful after the major challenges of this year. It felt like this post was meant to be shared in 2020 all along.
I know we're not all in the same boat, and taking the time to have breakfast with a friend may be the furthest from your reality right now. However, if you are able to take the time, I encourage you to do so, especially if it includes a warm slice of pumpkin cream cheese bread.
Warm bread, the crunch of walnuts, the sweetness of local honey that tastes like caramel. Fall spices, crumbs, and a warm mug. Breakfast is a time I have come to appreciate as sacred. I find ritual in routine, and reverence in the first pour of coffee.
This Gingerbread Loaf lands somewhere between a cake and a breakfast treat. It's wintry and comforting, with a pick-me-up burst of citrus from the glaze. It pairs well with a Manhattan, but I also include directions for adding that Manhattan to the Gingerbread Loaf (poke-cake style). The cocktail flavoring is subtle, but adds a little something to make each bite a little more worth savoring.
Polenta with a little extra herbs and salty parmesan, a tomato sauce with lentils and sweet, soft garlic are the backbone of this dinner idea. These recipes are loose guides. Simply use what you have on hand for the sauce and follow your instincts, but add lentils for an easy, affordable meaty flavor. Then pair the leftover red sauce with another batch of garlic flatbreads, hummus, tahini sprinkled with za'atar, olives, raw fennel, radishes, or whatever crudités you have on hand, for a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern inspired Mezze.
The core of this recipe trio is honey. Supporting beekeeping is good for the bees, and honey is better for you than sugar. The Earl Grey flavor is subtle, so play with the tea quantities if you want a stronger bergamot flavor. These are all loose guides, so follow your palate and instincts. The Earl Grey Honey Simple Syrup really shines when paired with Prosecco or Champagne.
The coconut sugar gives this quick bread a dark color and almost molasses flavor. For breakfast, serve a slice with a spread of lavender infused butter. As a dessert, top a slice with a candied lemon and a dollop of ice cream. Garnish your cocktails with any leftover honey candied lemons, and one baking session will last a week!