Chai Masala Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Everyone knows that autumn is my favorite season, and pumpkins are one of the main reasons for that! I have been making pumpkin bread every fall for years, but this year I gave it a little twist, and it turned out beautifully! This is definitely the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever made. Ever!

The twist came from a potent blend of Indian spices, usually used to flavor tea. I love Indian tea, so creamy and spicy, and I order it almost every time I go to an Indian restaurant. A few years back, when my mom and I drove across town to get our fix of spices from a local Indian grocery, we saw this chai masala, and I knew I had to have it! Masala is a broad term for a spice mix, and chai is the word for tea (as it is Russian: fun!). The chai masala is loaded with cardamom and ginger and cinnamon, and it makes everything so richly delicious. I keep mine in a little silver canister, so I couldn’t even tell you what brand it is, but you can get yourself some at any Indian grocer or here. My experience suggests that it is useful for far more than just chai, so it may well be a worthwhile investment!

As I was making this pumpkin bread for the second time this fall, I grabbed my chai masala off the shelf and added a teaspoon to my batter, hoping it would work well with the other spices. Oh my goodness, it turned out amazingly well!

Basically, I can’t wait until breakfast. No matter what time of day it is! Happy autumn, and enjoy!

Chai Masala Spiced Pumpkin Bread

1 1/3 c butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c water
1 c pumpkin, fresh or canned
1 2/3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp chai masala
1/2 c chopped walnuts

-Heat oven to 350F, and butter a 9×5 loaf pan.
-Cream the butter with the sugar.
-In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, water, and beaten eggs. Fold into the butter and sugar.
-Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl. Fold into the pumpkin mixture 1/3 at a time. When combined, add the walnuts.
-Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. Voila! Have a beautiful breakfast! (…Or midnight snack!)