Pumpkin Delights at Tea Time


Hello Tea Friends,

There are so many wonderful things about autumn! 
One of them being pumpkins! (The pumpkin display to the left is from a local quilt show I attended at a garden nursery.)
I love decorating with pumpkins and of course cooking with them.
They seem to embody the "taste" of autumn.

This year I decided I needed to bring the taste of pumpkin to my actual tea.




While ordering more masala chai from adagio tea, I decided to try their pumpkin spice tea after reading positive online reviews.
I don't know if I actually taste pumpkin, but there is a sweetness similar to one found in rooibis. It makes for a nice autumn tea and will complement many spiced baked treats.
(Sorry for the rather blah photos.)



Last week I baked chocolate chip pumpkin bread using a recipe I found on Pinterest. My family liked it, but I felt it was just "okay." The chocolate overshadowed the pumpkin taste in my opinion. So this weekend, I baked my tried and true recipe for pumpkin "cake."  I make it several times each year. I omit the cream cheese frosting, cut into squares and just sprinkle powdered sugar on top. It makes for the perfect seasonal morning baked treat.




Here's the recipe from Cookies, Cookies, Cookies Any Day Treats by Better Homes and Gardens

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 16 oz can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil (I used canola.)
4 beaten eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

~In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves. Stir in the pumpkin, cooking oil, and eggs till thoroughly combined. If desired, stir in the walnuts
~Spread batter into an ungreased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. *I did spray a regular 13x9 glass baking pan.*

~ Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar on top. Cut into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator.



In two weeks I will reveal the wonderful lady who gifted me with this beautiful white tea cup along with many other amazing treasures.






While this may appear to be just leaves on the ground, it is a very welcome sight to us. You can see the ground is wet! We had our first real rain showers since March. Our drought stricken lawns and gardens are soaking in this marvelous rain! I'm enjoying it so much too. Love staying in my pajamas and reading a good book on the weekends.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
                                           ~Albert Camus

Have a wonderful week,
Nora

















Comments

  1. Pumpkin is definitely one of the highlights of autumn for me. I also enjoy lazy weekends and look forward to the big teacup reveal in early November!

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  2. I just had my first cup of Pumpkin Spice tea this afternoon...from Republic Of Tea. I love all the seasonal flavors. I think I will be making your tried and true cake this week...just what I was looking for!
    Ruth

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    1. Ruth, I updated the recipe. A kind reader told me I left out the baking soda measurement.

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  3. Nora, your recipe for the pumpkin cake sounds delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I find now I like to bake new things. Your tea gift is lovely! I am still using the teacup and saucer you gave me. When it is not in use in is displayed lovingly on my hutch! Have a wonderful week and so glad to hear you had much needed rain.

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  4. I've been drinking Twinings Pumpkin Chai tea every afternoon, Nora. I'm happy to hear that the Adagio pumpkin tea is a good one. I love reading the reviews. Your cake looks like the perfect treat for the Fall flavors that we crave. I look forward to reading about your teacup reveal.

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  5. What is the measurement for the baking soda....Thanks.

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    1. Thank you so much for alerting me to this. That is very kind of you.
      The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda. (I just updated it online.)

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  6. That pumpkin bread sure looks good, I need to get into baking for fall.

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  7. yummy pumpkin cake.. :)

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  8. Boy this cake looks marvelous - my new found friends in the Tea Cup exchange are such fantastic homemakers and bakers!
    Sandy xx

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Nora