Pumpkin Ale Bread

Fall - apples, cool nights and warm days, bright coloured leaves, and pumpkins!

First pumpkin recipe of the season comes courtesy of Chatelaine magazine:  Pumpkin-ale sweet bread!

Question: Why are shelled pumpkin seeds called pepitas?  Anyone?  Shelled sunflower seeds are still sunflower seeds.  What makes pumpkin seeds special?

You need pumpkin ale for this one...in case this isn't apparent. 

I used Black Creek Historic Brewery Pumpkin Ale ,

but there are usually several to choose from this time of year. 

Pumpkin Ale Bread

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pure pumpkin purée

                                       1/3 cup pumpkin ale

                                             1/4 cup canola oil

                                               1 tsp vanilla

                                                GLAZE

                                               2/3 cup icing sugar

                                              2 tbsp pumpkin ale

                                               1/4 cup pepitas

Instructions
PREHEAT oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9 × 5-in. loaf pan with oil.
STIR flour with baking soda, pumpkin-pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
WHISK eggs with brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in pumpkin purée, 1/3 cup ale, oil and vanilla. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Scrape into prepared pan (batter will be thick). Smooth top.
BAKE in centre of oven until loaf is dark golden and a skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean, 60 to 65 min. Transfer to a rack. Let stand 15 min. Run a knife along edges of loaf pan and transfer loaf to rack.
WHISK icing sugar and pumpkin ale in a small bowl. Spoon over top of loaf and sprinkle with pepitas.