Pumpkin Beans.

Happy Wednesday y'all!

I am taking my last exam of the week today...whoo-freaking-hoo! Let's just say I owned my first two tests...in fact, I beat them down into the ground. When I was taking them, I totally wanted to yell out "Boo-yah" after I answered each question. I am the type of person who likes to get stuff done, so the sooner...the better, especially when it comes to school work. Yesterday was like a weight lifted off my shoulders...and ya know what I did after? I went home and broke out the pumpkin. O yes, it happened.

 Well, actually, I broke out the pumpkin about 2 weeks ago and have been eating it by the pound ever since! However, yesterday was the first time I have baked with pumpkin since last fall. Let me tell you...I have missed my beloved pumpkin. Fall is my favorite time of the year...and pumpkin is one of the top three reasons. Now, I could easily eat pumpkin out of a can all year around, but let's get real...pumpkin is 10 TIMES better in the fall. I want to see the brightly colored leaves falling from the trees as I sit on my back porch and enjoy a warm slice of pumpkin bread and a hot cup of coffee. Pumpkin and 105 degree heat...no fun, pumpkin and sand in your shorts...no fun-er-er.? So, yesterday I brought my pumpkin guns out of hiding.























A good pumpkin bread starts with the essentials.

Now, we are using Cup 4 Cup, which is a bomb-diggity gluten-free flour blend. Oh, and this bread is vegan...boom!

The pumpkin provides all the moisture in this bread, along with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil...just because it runs through my veins.

The olive oil, that is.

We pour that ooey, gooey, dense bread batter into a perfect loaf pan.

My favorite thing about this bread is that it has my kitchen staple, Mexican Vanilla Extract, baked right it. It lends a bold, nutty flavor the the sweetness of the pumpkin bread.

Then, while the bread is doing a baking magic dance in the oven, we make the simplest glaze on the face of the planet.

Powdered sugar and Madagascar Vanilla Beans. 

Mah fave.

You know what happens now.

Glazing time!

I would never be able to work in a donut factory...all that glaze is a hazard.

I'd secretly lock myself in the employees lunch room and drink a batch of the donut glaze by myself!

Thick, sweet, vanilla bean goodness.

This is what Wednesday is all about.

Mexican Vanilla Pumpkin Bread with Vanilla Bean Glaze (GF/V):

Ingredients:

For the bread:

1 1/2 c. Cup 4 Cup Gluten-Free Flour or any other gluten-free flour blend

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/2 c. raw coconut sugar (or packed light brown sugar)

2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 c. canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 c. unsweetened, vanilla almond milk

1/2 c. water

1 t. Beanilla Mexican Vanilla Extract

For the glaze:

seeds of 1 Madagascar vanilla bean

1 c. powdered sugar

water, as needed

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 in. loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. 

4. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the wet ingredients into the bowl. Combine and mix until smooth.

5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely before glazing.

6. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the glaze ingredients, adding enough water to make a smooth, thick glaze. Don't add too much water or the glaze will be too drippy, I added about 3-4 tablespoons for the perfect consistency. 

7. Drizzle the glaze over the entire loaf of bread. Slice into even slices.

Makes 12 slices.

MANGIA!!!