Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon

Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon

This hearty pumpkin bread is a sophisticated twist on the traditional version with the addition of bourbon (teetotalers can substitute apple cider), browned butter and cardamom.

Yield: Two 8-inch loaves

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup bourbon (or use water or apple cider)

1 tablespoon vanilla 

1¾ cups pumpkin purée, homemade or canned (1 15-ounce can)

4 eggs 

½ cup olive or other oil (such as canola)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1¾ cups light brown sugar

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Heat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the center. Grease the insides of two 8-inch loaf pans with butter or line with parchment paper.

In a large skillet, melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the frothy white milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn a fragrant, nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it carefully. (A tip: You will know your brown butter is almost ready when the frantic sound of bubbling begins to die down, so use your ears as well as your eyes and nose.)

In a glass liquid measuring cup, combine bourbon and vanilla. Add water until you reach the ⅔ cup mark. In a large bowl, whisk together bourbon mixture, pumpkin purée, eggs and oil. With a spatula, scrape all the brown butter from the skillet into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

In another large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Divide batter between the two greased loaf pans. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely before removing from pan.

TIP:  I made this with applesauce instead of oil (the brown butter adds enough oily flavor on its own); it came out absolutely delicious. Fantastic recipe! Perfect fall treat.

This is now my go-to pumpkin bread. Notes from other bakers were very helpful: double the amount of spices and use baking powder instead of baking soda. I also added chocolate chips and increased the bourbon to 1/3 cup.

* Everyone loved this with the following tweaks: 1/2 tsp of baking soda 1/2 tsp of baking powder 2/3 cup bourbon, no water double the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom It was very moist and flavorful!