An Iconic Fall Flavor: Pumpkin Spice

Since pumpkin spice has become such an iconic flavor for fall, you often see jokes made about it.

This flavor has been popular for years. It’s only lately that you are able to find practically everything made with the flavor.

I’ve always been a fan of the fall season and everything that goes with it. I’m also a lover of French toast and cheesecake so as a result, this is one of my favorite breakfasts; for fall or any time for that matter!

The Bread Makes A Difference

Challah is usually my go-to bread for most French toast I make. However, with this pumpkin cheesecake variety, I’m pretty partial to–wait for it–French bread!

If you can get a nice substantial loaf of French bread or a baguette, you’re in business.

The reason I prefer French bread to challah for this is that I don’t want a highly flavorful bread, such as challah, to compete with the spiced cheesecake filling. With French bread, the flavor will meld rather than work at cross purposes.

One other important thing here is you want bread that’s not very fresh so what I do is cut the slices the day before and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge. This method produces the perfect texture for the bread.

The Filling

The delicious cheesecake filling is very easy to make. Just make sure to use plain pumpkin–not the canned pie filling.

You might have some left over, depending on how much you want to use to fill the bread slices. The amount you use is totally up to you. I had about a half cup left over. But there’s no waste going on here. The filling makes a wonderful sweet dip for graham crackers or cookies!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Toast

A super fall breakfast or brunch

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fancy french toast, holiday breakfasts, holiday brunches, pumpkin spice, weekend breakfasts

Servings: 6

Calories: 464kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 French bread or baguette
• 2-3 tbs unsalted butter

Custard:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cut the French bread into 1-inch/2.5 cm slices.
• Beat together all the filling ingredients.
• Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling on HALF the bread slices. Place a plain slice on top of the one with the filling making a “sandwich.”
• Whisk together the eggs, milk and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into a large (13 x 9 is good) deep pan.
• Place the “sandwiches” in the egg mixture and let it soak in for about 3 minutes; turn and soak the other side.
• Melt half the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter starts foaming, place the french toast in the pan but do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn, add the remaining butter and brown on the other side for the same time.
• To keep warm, place on a cookie sheet in a 200F/100C oven.

Notes

For UK folks--mixed spice is a good substitute for pumpkin pie spice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 7198IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Toast appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Easy peasy cinnamon swirl bread.  A different method stops the cinnamon swirl from separating.

I’ve been lusting after some good old cinnamon swirl bread for a long time now. Trouble was, I needed to find a cinnamon swirl bread recipe that used bread flour, since I’d bought quite a bit of it.

I finally had some success on AllRecipes, but it was a bread machine recipe, and I didn’t want to make this with Crisco..so I changed the recipe slightly to include butter and omit one step and ingredient–coating the inside of the swirl with butter. Instead, I used an egg wash.

Slices of soft and sweet Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The egg wash is something that King Arthur recommends…to prevent the swirly part from separating.  When King Arthur Flour talks about technique, I tend to obey it because they are the ultimate authority IMO on bread baking.

And…they are right again!  When you cut this bread, it cuts in a neat slice.  I thought I might miss the buttery flavor in the swirl, but I honestly don’t notice it missing.  I also painted the tops of each loaf with the leftover egg wash so it’d shine very nicely.

FYI, this is not a high-rising bread.  Most recipes I read had said as much.  One said to use a smaller loaf pan if you want a bigger dome, i.e. 8 x 4 x 3-inch.  The pans I have these in are not exactly standard loaf pans, they are 1.5 Q deep rectangular casseroles actually, but the volume is somewhere in between a “standard” loaf pan and a “small” loaf pan so it works.  These are from the Temp-Tations bakeware 16 piece set, for those wondering.

Crust is baked with an egg wash for shine

Not only is this bread heaven just by itself, it makes wonderful toast when it’s lathered in butter and just think of the fantasmogoric FRENCH TOAST this would make!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

• Dough:
• 1 1/2 cups very warm water water
• 2 tbs butter or margarine, softened
• 3 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp SAF yeast (instant yeast/bread machine yeast)
• 4 – 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 
  
• Filling:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 
  
• Glaze & Filling Wash:
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water

Combine all dough ingredients in the bowl of a sturdy stand mixer -OR- place in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.


If using stand mixer with dough hook, gently blend the dough ingredients on low speed, then knead for 5-8 minutes at speed recommended for dough hook use.  On a Kitchen Aid, this is speed #2.  


(If using a bread machine, use DOUGH cycle and remove after cycle completes.)


Place about 1 tsp of oil in a large bowl.  Place kneaded dough in the bowl, coat one side with the oil.  Turn oil-side up and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until dough is double in bulk.  


(I use the “oven rise” method since my house is drafty.  Just turn on your oven on any temp and run the oven for one minute after the heat comes up.  Turn off oven and place dough in the oven for the rise period)


When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down and divide into 2 equal-sized balls.  


Grease two 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pans.


Beat the egg with the teaspoon of water and set aside. Mix the brown sugar & cinnamon and set aside.


Roll out dough in a 12 x 6-inch (approximate) rectangle. Brush the top with the egg wash.


Evenly distribute 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar over the egg-washed surface.  Roll up from the short end and seal seams.


Place in prepared loaf pan.  Repeat with other ball of dough.


Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  


Bake loaves for 30-40 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  After about 15 minutes into the baking, brush tops of loaves with the egg wash again.  This makes it shine and promotes browning.


Remove from pans immediately and cool on racks.


Makes 2 loaves.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Copyright © Judith Hannemann aka The Midnight Baker 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without The Midnight Baker’s express consent.  

Follow The Midnight Baker Food, Glorious Food #7 on Pinterest

The post Cinnamon Swirl Bread appeared first on The Midnight Baker.