Pumpkin Walnut bread with Cream Cheese filling

I love the way my house smells when a loaf of bread is baking and Lord have mercy, this pumpkin bread is AHHHHmazing. My favorite part is eating a nice thick slice topped with butter.

This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread, but I wanted to make one loaf and a dozen muffins, so I could share with the office.

Here's what you do....

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounce package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter two 9" loaf pans.

Cream Cheese Filling: Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix slightly. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla, and walnuts.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix, the bread will come out too tough.

Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter. Bake the breads for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through.

Allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Sour Cream Cornbread

I am more than ready for the autumn. There is no time of the year quite like it. Football, crunchy leaves, carnivals, not to mention my favorite holidays...Halloween and Thanksgiving!!

There are so many recipes that just taste better with the flavor of harvest time veggies and gourds...I love pumpkin and butternut squash. I love beans flavored with ham, and chili and soup. One of my favorite sides is homemade cornbread. I especially love cornbread dressing. This recipe for sour cream cornbread is a great compliment to any of those hearty dishes on a cool crisp autumn day. These cornbread muffins can be frozen, too. They're great served warm with fresh butter.

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
8 ounces sour cream, regular or light
1 can cream-style corn
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 375°. Grease your muffin tin (or spray paper liners)

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and sugar.

In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, corn, eggs, milk, and melted butter. Combine the two mixtures and stir until just blended.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4-full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the muffins are firm and lightly browned.

Makes 18 to 24 muffins.