A Loaf with a Long Memory
Because we know you still have a can of pumpkin in your pantry from last Thanksgiving.
Friends, hi!
I’m so excited to have Abigail Koffler with us this week. Abigail is the voice behind This Needs Hot Sauce, a Substack I’ve been reading (read: obsessing over), especially her family trip to Italy, including a packing list because it’s important to be properly prepared to eat every last pasta course.
Abigail writes about food and life in a way that feels honest and sharp. Her writing makes me feel like I’m catching up with a friend who always knows where to eat and what to order - ideal! She started This Needs Hot Sauce back in 2017 during a less-than-glamorous job, and turned it into a space for recipes, recommendations, and the full, complicated joy of living well. It’s special!
I’m so glad she’s here with us this week, bringing a little cinnamon spice, the right vibes, and a very good case for finally use up that rogue can of pumpkin puree leftover in the pantry from last Thanksgiving.
Let’s get into it.
xo Joy
Psssst: Subscribe to This Needs Hot Sauce and follow Abigail on Instagram! Now, here’s Abigail!
As someone who has been reading Joy’s work since I was in high school, I’m so honored to be here. This recipe was the first one that came to mind when I thought about what to share. Our pumpkin bread started as a gift and now is my family’s go-to gift. My mom met Corinne, the recipe’s originator, in a pregnancy exercise class in the early 90s. They had babies at the same time, walked their strollers around the streets of Kew Gardens, Queens and became fast friends. Eventually, my parents tried her pumpkin bread, studded with chocolate chips and walnuts. They loved it, and my dad asked for the recipe. When he gave it a try, the results were disappointing: leaden and dry.
After a quick back and forth, Corinne realized she had omitted something crucial from the original recipe: eggs, which add structure and moisture to the loaf. My parents remade it and the rest is history. The bread became a family classic, all year long. My dad bakes two loaves at a time and freezes individually wrapped slices. When my sister was younger, the promise of a pumpkin bread for breakfast was the only thing that would get her out of bed for school. I’ve received loaves as gifts in college and even in Guatemala, where I lived for a year. When my family came to visit, they brought a taste of their home for my host family: a tightly wrapped, slightly banged up loaf of pumpkin bread.
I made pumpkin bread with my grandma for Thanksgiving snacking and brought a loaf to my boyfriend’s family when I met them for the first time over Christmas. Making it before our trip eased my nerves and was well received. My most recent bake was for two friends recovering from surgery at the start of spring. I know it will bring them comfort while they recuperate and I hope it brings you some too.
The Pumpkin Bread My Family’s Been Making for 30+ Years
If you have two loaf pans, double the recipe so you use an entire can of pumpkin. Gift or freeze the other loaf.
Ingredients
4 oz. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and pumpkin and beat to fully combine.
Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the chips and nuts with a spatula.
Transfer batter to a greased loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes. Let sit for five minutes in the pan and then turn onto a rack to fully cool.
Notes: You can make this as muffins too. Divide into 12 muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
Storage: This slices more cleanly after some time in the refrigerator. Individually wrapped slices freeze well (and taste pretty good frozen).
Other Great Uses for That Singular, Slightly Judgy Can of Pumpkin Purée in Your Pantry:
• Joy the Baker’s Most Cozy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe topped with loads of crunchy turbinado sugar and smeared, just a touch too generously with softened cream cheese (as God intended).
• Browned Butter Pumpkin Texas Sheet Cake finished with a glossy browned butter pecan glaze that somehow, some way, tastes like a glazed doughnut. I cannot explain further. It’s magic.
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