Sara Croft

From bread to beer, pumpkin flavors are everywhere. You can't enter a restaurant or bar without finding a pumpkin version of something edible, but that's what happens when the leaves change and pumpkins can be seen at every roadside stand between Indy and our state lines. I am definitely not complaining.

Did you know that you can make any of your favorite pumpkin foods with a real pumpkin? The effort required is more than opening a can of puree, but it isn't rocket science. Baking pumpkins are smaller than the Jack-O-Lantern carving pumpkins, have more flesh and are a bit more dense, though either pumpkin can work for your recipe. Pumpkins will also give you a bonus recipe of roasted pumpkin seeds.

My rule of thumb is to always replace water with beer in a recipe if possible. With this recipe, it made sense to choose pumpkin beer. Flat Jack from Flat 12, Bier Brewery's Pumpkin Ale and Tin Man's Imperial Pumpkin are just a few seasonal Indy options to choose from. Just make sure you get enough for the recipe and to drink later. It is only around for a limited time, after all!

Pumpkin Beer Bread

Makes Two Loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 cups fresh pumpkin or 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup pumpkin beer

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon molasses

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine both sugars and oil together until well blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix on medium speed.

3. Add the pumpkin, beer and molasses and mix to combine.

4. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg and cloves together. Start to mix your dry ingredients into the wet half a cup at a time until everything is incorporated.

5. Grease two 9x3 bread pans and lightly dust them with flour. Pour the batter into the pans equally. Pans will be about half full.

6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Follow Sara Croft on Twitter: @solidgoldeats.