We operate an informal test kitchen at California Olive Ranch, recruiting friends and relatives to try out recipes. A relative, Joanne, has become the “director” of that “test kitchen.” She’s a great home baker and cook. I can personally vouch for Joanne’s leek tart, which I enjoyed at her home a few years back. She also makes a mean pizza – which we’ve featured here in a photograph – and a to-die-for flourless chocolate torte.
Joanne’s old college friend, Karen, recently sent Joanne a neat cookbook. It’s right up our alley: “Olive Oil Baking,” by Lisa Sheldon (Turner Publishing, 2007). It’s an entire baking cookbook devoted to olive oil, highlighting extra virgin olive oil. It’s loaded with recipes ranging from spice cookies to lemon poppy seed pound cake. It’s also got baking, health and nutrition information as well as useful tips for storing and selecting extra virgin olive oil.
Joanne recently needed to make something for her 8-year-old son John to bring to his summer sports camp for lunch. He was up for the idea of bringing pumpkin bread. So Joanne got out “Olive Oil Baking” and turned to the recipe for Pumpkin Streusel Bread. It’s basically pumpkin bread with a sweet crumb topping. Joanne used our Miller’s Blend extra virgin olive oil for the recipe.
John—our newest and youngest recipe tester – declared the Pumpkin Streusel Bread “delicious.” The rest of the family agreed. So I wanted to share it with you.
By the way, Joanne substituted hazelnuts for the walnuts because she didn’t have any walnuts on hand. She also adapted the recipe a bit, using 1-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of wheat germ (instead of the whole wheat flour). She replaced 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Oh, and before I forget, I should also mention that Joanne is an aspiring food stylist. She snapped the photo here.
Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Topping
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or oil. In a small
bowl, combine all four topping ingredients and rub together with fingers until crumbs form.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients
and combine, but do not overmix.
4. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over the surface of the loaf.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the very center of the loaf comes
out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool on a rack.
Makes one large loaf
(Recipe supplied courtesy of Turner Publishing)
Bon appétit,
Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch
