Recipe: Mixed-Up Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mini Loaves
Jackie Alpers is a Tucson, Arizona based food photographer and cookbook author. She cooks, styles and photographs food and recipes in her natural-light studio, and documents food, chefs and restaurants on location.
Quick breads originated in the United States in the late 18th century with the invention of commercial leavening ingredients such as baking soda and baking powder, which eliminated the need for slow-rising yeast.
According to Alton Brown, in my favorite basic baking technique cookbook, I’m Just Here for More Food: Mixing + Heat = Baking, quick bread recipes work best when utilizing his muffin method. Wet and dry ingredients are whisked together in separate bowls, the two are then combined and mixed until the dry ingredients are hydrated but not overmixed with a few lumps remaining. For this recipe I have made this process easier and a bit more fun by using a premade pumpkin spice quick bread mix along with a variety of mix-ins hidden at the bottom of color-coded mini silicone baking cups. And while these mix-ins all taste fantastic, they are really just a jumping off place for your own culinary creativity – I strongly encourage you to experiment with different combinations of nuts, fruits, and sweets so that you can suit individual tastes, have fun, and be surprised!
The Silicone Kitchen Tools Used
The Silicone Kitchen Silicone Mini Loaves
The Silicone Kitchen Baking Mats
The Silicone Kitchen 3-Piece Spatula Set
Ingredients
¼ cup pecan pieces
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup trail mix
1 cup slivered almonds
¼ cup candy-covered espresso beans
2/3 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) box Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix
½ cup butterscotch chips
½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Arrange 10 The Silicone Kitchen Silicone Mini Loaves on a half sheet baking pan lined with The Silicone Kitchen Baking Mat.
From top left: pecan pieces, dried cranberries, trail mix, slivered almonds and candied expresso beans.
Sprinkle the bottom of each The Silicone Kitchen Silicone Mini Loaves with 1 to 2 tablespoons of selected mix-ins, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the water, vegetable oil and eggs until well combined. Using The Silicone Kitchen Spoonula, stir in the pumpkin spice baking mix until the dry mix is well hydrated but some lumps remain, then spoon the batter into each The Silicone Kitchen Silicone Mini Loaves pan to fill, leaving about ¼-inch of space at the top.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and remaining slivered almonds over the batter.
Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, turning the sheet pan halfway through.
Let cool and serve whole or sliced.