Fall is definitely in full swing here in Buffalo; the leaves are changing, and I’ve finally gotten to pull out my tall brown boots! This also means that just about everything I bake will now have cinnamon in it. How I love cinnamon.. stay tuned for a great cinnamon giveaway – keep on reading to find out more!
For my first pumpkin recipe of the year, I didn’t want it to be something that I’d serve up for a holiday. We’re not quite there, yet! But this pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread is just right. Subtly pumpkin and plenty of cinnamon. Whole wheat, too! The perfect bread for fall. Although, I could definitely see this being perfect for a holiday breakfast, as well! We made some french toast out of it on Sunday morning – SO good.
This recipe makes two loaves, so I definitely recommend slicing it up after it cools and freezing at least one of the loaves for later. Or give some away! Your friends will love you. I love this bread plain, but a spread of butter is also a fantastic idea. As you’ll notice from the photos, I rolled one of my loaves out incorrectly. I made the rectangle too long, so when I rolled it up, it was about twice the length of the loaf pan, so I just folded it in half and pinched the two logs together. It actually ended up looking pretty cool!
Now, about cinnamon (and the giveaway). Aséla over at Cinnamon Vogue was kind enough to let me try some of his wonderful Ceylon cinnamon products – Ceylon Cinnamon Tea, Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, and Cinnamon Citrus Candle, and one lucky reader will get their own gift pack of the same products! Ceylon cinnamon is the type of cinnamon that you hear all of the great health benefits for – blood glucose control, digestive issues, etc. Most cinnamon that you find in the grocery store is Cassia cinnamon, which contains coumarin, a blood thinner which can actually cause liver damage at high doses, so it’s not that great for you, although it’s alright in small doses. Ceylon cinnamon has a smoother and more aromatic flavor, in my opinion, and it’s all I’ve been using for the past year, actually, so I was really excited to try out some products containing it! I tend to consume a lot of cinnamon, so Ceylon is definitely my number one choice.
I love spicy teas, so this tea is definitely one of my new cool weather favorites! It’s infused with cinnamon bark oil to give it a strong cinnamon flavor, and it really hits the spot. It’s great iced, too!
I’ve been using my cinnamon sugar very sparingly so it lasts longer, but I’ve been enjoying a decent bit of cinnamon sugar toast, one of my favorite ways to have cinnamon! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and spicy cinnamon flavor. It would be perfect for swirling into pancake batter or muffins!
The candle soothed my mind through long studying sessions last week. I really felt less stressed as it was burning, which is saying something, since I had 3 crazy exams last week. And the apartment smelled heavenly! It’s not overpowering, so if you’re sensitive to smells, you’ll probably be fine. Strong cinnamon scents can give me a headache, sometimes, but this all-natural candle gave me no problems!
The cinnamon leaf oil is extremely potent, so you have to dilute it before using it, but it has a ton of uses! It’s a great disinfectant; I’ve been using it to scrub down my counters and cutting boards thus far and can’t wait to try other things with it! I was interested to see how the cats reacted to it, as cinnamon apparently messes with their sense of smell, but they didn’t seem to be bothered. Maybe that’s just because they have a cinnamon-obsessed kitty-mother, and they’re just used to it by this point. I might’ve already messed up their smell, although you’d never be able to tell with how quickly Tesla knows when a jar of peanut butter is opened! 😉
If you’re interested in learning more about Ceylon cinnamon, there are a lot of great research articles linked from the Cinnamon Vogue website. Being a pharmacy student, I’m all about evidence based treatments, so I was really excited to see a lot of great resources to look into!
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite way to use cinnamon and which Cinnamon Vogue product you’d most like to try! Giveaway is open until Friday, October 11 at 11:59 pm. Giveaway now CLOSED. The winner is comment #5, Taryn!
- 6 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (you can substitute 2 cups of all purpose flour in for a lighter loaf)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp instant yeast (2 packets)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups milk, warm
- 1-15 oz. can pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia (or 1/4 cup honey or sugar)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl), stir the flour, salt, instant yeast, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
Heat the milk in the microwave (or on the stove over low heat) at 30-second intervals until the chill is gone and it is slightly warm to the touch. Pour into a large bowl, and add the pumpkin, eggs, molasses, and liquid stevia (or sugar). Stir until smooth.
With the dough hook attached to the stand mixer, slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture. Knead on low speed (or by hand) until the dough comes together, about 5-7 minutes. It will be slightly sticky. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and a tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air, and divide it into two even pieces. Turn each piece out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling it into a rectangle (about the length of your loaf pan if using – otherwise you can free form it).
Stir the coconut sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Brush the melted butter onto each dough rectangle, coming about half an inch away from the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over each. Roll the dough tightly away from you to make a log, and pinch the seams and ends closed. Place into parchment lined loaf pans (or a parchment lined baking sheet), seam sides down.
Cover both of the loaves with a towel, and preheat the oven to 375ºF, while they rise for the second time, until they rise to the tops of the loaf pans, about 20 minutes.
Bake at 375ºF for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned on top. The loaves will sound hollow inside when you tap on them.
Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
You can freeze these loaves, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. I like to slice them beforehand and freeze them that way to make it easier.
https://cookingalamel.com/2013/10/pumpkin-cinnamon-swirl-bread-and-a-giveaway.html