Spatula Diaries: Give in to the pumpkin spice trend with this flavorful quick bread

Last month, Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain commented that pumpkin spice was among the recent food trends that need to exit the scene.

“I would like to see the pumpkin spice craze drowned in its own blood,” wrote Bourdain in a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything response to a reader. “Quickly.”

It may be a while.

The seasonal profusion of all things pumpkin spice is exploding to a new degree this fall, the Motley Fool reported in September. Look for Olive Garden’s new pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s returning pumpkin latte. Just this week, our local Trader Joe’s stocked shelves with all sorts of expressions of pumpkin spice, including a pumpkin-flavored Italian panettone and the weirdly repetitive Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds.

Is this food trend dopey and overdone?

Yes! The flavor of pumpkin was never interesting enough to justify cramming it into ice cream, bagels, toothpaste and dog treats. But here I am, in the spirit of things, giving in to the wildly effective marketing trend with this week’s recipe—a tasty pumpkin spice quick bread that’s delicious for breakfast or a snack. Sorry, everyone. But it really is good!

Regular readers may recall my recipe for kumquat bread, which follows this formula except for the use of 1 cup of pureed kumquats instead of pureed pumpkin. If you can’t abide pumpkin, use kumquats. The flavor of banana gives it a fruity, tropical edge.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Makes 1 loaf

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 mashed ripe banana
1 cup mashed pumpkin (canned or fresh)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup plain yogurt
6 tablespoons melted butter

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour, or spray well with baking spray, a non-stick standard loaf pan. Combine the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine gently the banana, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, yogurt and butter. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the flour is thoroughly moistened. Pour into the prepared bread pan.

Bake for 50 minutes. Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes on an elevated rack. Remove the loaf and allow it cool on the rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her hungryforlouisiana.com.