Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Pack away the candy and bring on the cozy kitchen vibes! As the holiday countdown begins, it’s time to crank up the oven, break out the mixing bowls and savor the flavors of fall. Pumpkin takes center stage, ready for its next act.
Pumpkin Bread
Super-moist and packed with flavor, this can be made into a simple pumpkin loaf; or enhanced with chocolate chips and/or nuts. Or raisins. Or butterscotch chips.
1 cup (198g) vegetable oil
2 2/3 cups (528g) granulated sugar
Glaze (optional)
1 cup (113g) confectioners' or glazing sugar
2 tablespoons (28g) butter, melted
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans (if you're making the plain version of the bread); two 9" x 5" loaf pans (if you're adding chocolate chips and nuts); or one of each, if you're making one plain loaf, and one loaf with chips and nuts.
In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to combine.
Mix in the chips and nuts, if you're using them. To make one loaf with chips/nuts, one loaf without, divide the batter in half. Leave one half plain, and add 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup nuts to the other half.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar.
Bake the bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter.
Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap and if time allows, store it overnight before serving. Waiting to enjoy the bread allows the flavors to meld and texture to completely set.The next day, stir together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over the bread and cut into slices to serve.
Storage information: Store leftover bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.
Pumpkin Pie
Pie is always a fitting sweet treat, especially during the holiday season. This recipe, courtesy of Emily Luchetti’s “Classic Stars Desserts” (Chronicle Books), is a standout for your table.
3 large eggs
1⁄2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup dark corn syrup
1 1⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1⁄2 cups pumpkin purée, homemade (see below)
1 tablespoon rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 prebaked 9 1⁄2-inch pie crust
Chantilly cream (see below)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until blended. Add the corn syrup and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the cream, pumpkin purée, rum, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until well mixed. Pour into the prebaked pie crust.
Bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Serve with the chantilly cream.
Chef’s tip: The pie may be made a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Pumpkin Purée
Makes 2 1⁄2 cups
2 1⁄2 pounds sugar pumpkins
1⁄4 cup water
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Cut each pumpkin into sixths. Scrape out the seeds and any stringy pulp. Put the pumpkin pieces, cut-side up, and the water in a baking pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until soft when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh with a spoon and purée in a food mill or food processor. If the purée is watery, place it in a large sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick. The timing will depend on how watery the purée is.
Let cool, cover and refrigerate until using.
Chantilly Cream
Makes about 2 1⁄4 cups
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Put the cream, vanilla and sugar in a bowl and whip by hand with a whisk or with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. The cream should hold its shape but still be very smooth.
Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Chef’s tip: You can whip the cream an hour or two in advance, cover and refrigerate it. If it sits longer than that, it will start to thin out and you will need to rewhip it lightly before using. A few quick stirs with a whisk will do the trick.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Pumpkin Crisps
When chilly days require something to warm you up from the inside out, nothing can beat a soothing soup.
3 to 3 1⁄2 pounds pumpkin
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric|
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish
For the pumpkin crisps:
Wedge of fresh pumpkin, seeded
1⁄2 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prick the pumpkin around the top several times with a fork. Brush the pumpkin with plenty of the oil and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Leave until cool enough to handle.
Take care when cutting the pumpkin, as there may still be a lot of hot steam inside. When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds. Scoop out and chop the flesh.
Heat about 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil (you may not have to use all of it) in a large pan and add the onions, garlic and ginger, then cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the coriander, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin flesh and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender.
Cool the soup slightly, then puree it in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed out pan and season well.
Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin crisps. Using a swivel-blade potato peeler, pare long thin strips off the wedge of pumpkin. Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the strips in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp. Drain on paper towels.|
Reheat the soup and ladle it into bowls. Top with the pumpkin crisps and garnish each portion with sesame seeds and cilantro leaves. Makes 6-8 servings.
