Thanksgiving Recipe for Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread with a Secret Ingredient!

Thanksgiving cooking is coming! Can you smell the spices? The spicy smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin takes me back to my aunts' kitchen! I can hear the clunk of the wooden spoon and see the big mixing bowl in the crook of my aunt's arm as she paced the kitchen and beat the batter. Even after she had an electric mixer, she preferred to hand beat her batters and fudge in the big crock bowl. She and the bowl had over the years, formed a perfect position, and her arms knew the rhythm of the work, and they never missed a "beat."

I'd often wished for a peak inside my Aunt Lady's head. I envisioned a warehouse of recipes, filed in her nickname style, standing ready for recall upon demand. As I nagged, she would give in occasionally, feigning aggravation and write her ingredients down. I know it did bother her some, because she wanted to show me, talk about it, and then expect me to be able to just do it from memory afterwards.

She had grown up cooking from memory and scents; it was rare when someone stopped their busy work as they cooked for farm hands, neighbors and family to write a recipe down. If you wanted to make what you ate and loved from another, you better pay attention the first time, or ask to come over on a "baking day." Cooking skills were passed down from generation to generation, born of need and hunger in busy kitchens.

I wished I had paid better attention to my aunts and uncles as they lived their remarkable lives. I have not even a piece of my aunt's talent, with the exception of her love for the kitchen. I've calmed many an angry, sad, lonely foster child as they were encouraged to busy themselves preparing foods and desserts. When the kitchen hums and yields her/his rewards, life's heavy loads are lightened. It's been proven over and over in my lifetime.

I would bring a sad tale to my aunt, as I talked of mean or hurtful teen friends, and before I knew what happened. we'd be smelling chocolate chip cookies or melt in your mouth batter bread (which to this day I can't make like she did) and who cared about the words of a former friend?

I wonder now, if more kids could take their troubles to a favorite relative who offered home spun comfort, would their hearts be strengthened and self harm never even be a whisper of a thought?

I wonder.

As you bake this delicious cream cheese filled pumpkin bread, pause a moment and send out love and warmth to those in our community and world, who are just hearts apart.

The only thing I changed about my aunt's recipe, was the addition of coconut pie filling, changed the corn oil to canola, and the use of an electric mixer. I never developed her wonderful arms, either.

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese, brought to room temperature
• 1/2 c sugar, extra fine
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp orange peel, grated to a fine texture

Procedure:

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.

Bread:

• 5 eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 1 1/2 c canola oil
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 pkg instant dry coconut pudding/pie filling mix - THE SECRET INGREDIENT!
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional)
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional

Note: if you leave out cloves and ginger, increase nutmeg to 1/2 - 1 tsp, depending on taste. Find your preference! Check the size of your baking loaf pans, as it will affect the bake time of the bread. This recipe is for a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Procedure:

1. Beat eggs on medium speed, and gradually add sugar
2. Continue beating when adding oil, pumpkin, blend well.
3. Slowly add dry pie filling mix, beat 5 minutes.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and add to batter, beating until well combined.
5. Prepare 2 greased loaf pans. The "old fashioned way was to butter and flour the pan, banging off excess. This is preferred to the oil sprays of today.
6. Pour 1/2 batter into each loaf pan.
7. Spoon cream cheese filing divided into each pan as evenly as possible. If you prefer a thick filling, double the cream cheese recipe.
8. Pour remaining bread batter into pans and thump pan lightly against table or counter to settle batter and release air pockets.

Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan and then invert on rack to remove bread and continue cooling.

This is moist, creamy, and delicious! Variations would be to add nuts before pouring batter into loaf pans, or to dust baked breads with powdered sugar. Try your own, but we love the traditional bread, with the additional moist flavor of the coconut pudding!

Tip for adding chopped nuts:  coat the nuts lightly in a tablespoon of flour so they won't settle to the bottom of your bread.  Although, my kids loved nuts on the bottom!  So, in the end, who cares? 

I'd start now, and freeze to give as gifts, IF your family doesn't eat them as they bake!

Gee, I miss my aunts. They never baked without telling stories of town gossip, farm mishaps, and other tall tales.