Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Bread

The perfect bread for fall! Nothing cozier than spiced pumpkin bread.

You'll need --

Batter:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup apple sauce

• 1/2 cup granular sugar

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• pinch of salt

Other:

• 4 0z cream cheese, room temp

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 8 pats of butter (about 2-3 tablespoons cut into slices)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease or butter a 9x5 bread pan

2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, apple sauce, sugar, maple syrup, eggs & vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg + salt.

3. Sift 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the wet, mix, then sift the other half and mix again.

4. In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon - then mix most of this (save 1 teaspoon) into the cream cheese. Put the cream cheese mix into a plastic baggie, cut a corner.

5. Pour half of the batter into the bread pan, use the baggie to pipette two lines down the center of the batter. Pour the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out. Place the butter slices on top and sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon sugar.

6. Bake for 3o minutes at 350, then cover with aluminum to avoid the top burning, bake another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

7. Optional: mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, brush it on top and sprinkle more cinnamon sugar!

8. Slice and serve :)