When I was younger, my sister and I would add “a-licious” to nouns to make them adjectives. (As an English major in college, I should know better, right?) Well, not every word, really it was just one. Bart. She had a crush on a boy named Bart, so I would ask her if things were “Bart-a-licious” to gauge her interest in them. Silly? Yes. Fun? Definitely! Since then, I have kept this silly habit and add “a-licious” to things I really like. Like Pumpkin!
I know there are some pumpkin haters out there. You don’t have to love everything I do. It just leaves more pumpkin for me. If I were to ask you what food you eat with pumpkin, most of you would say, “Pumpkin pie” (which is one of my most favorite-est things in the entire world). How many of you have tried pumpkin bread? It’s definitely not sandwich bread. Think Banana or Zucchini bread, but better! Not only does it taste better, pumpkin is a “superfood.”
What exactly is a “superfood,” you ask? Well here’s what Wikipedia has to say: Superfood is a marketing term used to describe foods with supposed health benefits. So there you have it. It’s a marketing term. Despite that, Pumpkin is pretty awesome. Just look at the label on the Libby’s Pumpkin can:
Tons of Vitamin A and 5 grams of fiber in 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree! Talk about guilt free treating!
So what makes this food storage related? Aside from the fact that you can store canned pumpkin and it has a decent shelf-life, I used powdered eggs. POWDERED EGGS? Yes, powdered eggs. Why in the world would I have powdered eggs in my pantry? Well, remember my friend, Sarah, who used to arrange group food storage purchases? About 4 years ago, she arranged one for powdered eggs. Being paranoid about earthquakes, I bought a can thinking that I would really appreciate it if and when an earthquake hit.
Fast forward three years, I realized that I needed to use these eggs. Earthquake? No, they were going to expire at some point, and I hate to waste money. I’ve heard different estimates from as little as 3 years to as many as 10. But most things I’ve read say that powdered eggs are good for 3-5 years unopened. They must be used within 1 year of opening.
So, I needed to use a big #10 can of powdered eggs in a year. When I opened it, the color looked a bit like a mustard yellow, and once I mixed them with water, the mustard shade was even more pronounced. I was scared to try to cook them as scrambled eggs. Instead, I opted to use them in baked goods like cookies, bread, etc. I didn’t taste a lick of difference between fresh eggs and powdered eggs in my baked goods.
Now that I’ve used up almost an entire can, I’ve decided I always want to keep powdered eggs in my pantry. I found them helpful when I wanted to make cookies on a Sunday, and I didn’t want to go to the store for religious reasons. Or when I was one egg short for a recipe. Or when I wanted to leave the fresh eggs for my oldest son who was making scrambled eggs every night when he came home from work. If I did not use many eggs, I think I’d prefer these to keeping fresh eggs in my fridge, because they’d last so long!
There. I’m done evangelizing about powdered eggs. Onto the recipe… I’m not sure who authored it, so if someone knows, please let me know, and I will give credit where credit is due. My mom had this on a handwritten recipe card, and it was passed down to all of her kids. (There are many of us baking pumpkin bread and sharing it all over the USA.)
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
3 cups flour (all purpose)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin puree (equal to a 15-oz can, not canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use mini chips or the Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil. Stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into two greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
If you prefer, you can make 24-28 muffins. Use paper baking cups and fill 2/3 full. Bake about 22-24 minutes at 350 degrees.
I have a confession to make here. I don’t combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. My husband always does, but I don’t. I just don’t want to dirty another bowl. I know, I know. My muffins would probably be better if I did it, but I say they taste good enough, especially when I have fewer dishes to do afterwards.
Here are some pics and a description of me making these super yum muffins.
And that was it! These moist and delicious muffins are healthier than many other treats, and they freeze so well! Once cool, I pop the muffins in a gallon size freezer bag and put them in the freezer. I pull them out a couple of hours before I want to serve them (or the night before). Honestly, I’m not sure how long they keep in the freezer, because I can’t seem to keep them in there more than a couple of weeks with my ravenous boys. And you can’t tell one little bit that I used powdered eggs. Ask anyone!
Now, it’s your turn.
What do you think about powdered eggs? Do you think you could/would use them?
Is there anything else you use in place of traditional “fresh” ingredients which makes your life a lot easier and/or saves you money?
February 21, 2014 at 2:51 pm
That does sound good!
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February 21, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I think powdered eggs would be good to have in the pantry especially for a survival kit. Love pumpkin and pumpkin bread is wonderful, your muffins and loaves look great.
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February 21, 2014 at 3:43 pm
I LOVE PUMPKIN! Its my favorite thing in the fall. I don’t like using the caned stuff if I can help it, so I usual get one or two HUGE pumpkins from a local farmer in October and cook it all up and freeze so I can just pull it out when I want to bake. But when I run out of it a can of pumpkin is always in my pantry.
I have never used powdered eggs before…I live in Canada and I have never even seen them in my local grocery store… I have used powdered milk a lot, especially in our home made bread. We don’t buy store bread ever since my husband bought me a bread machine our first year of marriage. The powdered milk has saved us a lot of money.
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February 21, 2014 at 3:48 pm
My store doesn’t sell powdered eggs either. A lot of online merchants carry them (just google powdered eggs). Mine were from Emergency Essentials (www.beprepared.com).
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February 21, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Good post. It’s interesting that we also discovered pumpkin bread recently as a solution to using up some ingredients (I also hate to waste food)! In our case though, we had too much pumpkin left from last season. I just started gardening last year and I forgot how prolific pumpkin plants are. Anyway, after making pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cheesecake, pureeing and freezing 24 pints of pumpkin puree, and giving more than half of my crop away to friends and relatives, I still had several pumpkins left! Well, my wife hit the web for ideas and discovered pumpkin bread! I love this bread for breakfast – slice, toast, and butter – mmmmm. Also great as a snack with some coffee after shoveling snow…. BTW, the bread freezes well!
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February 21, 2014 at 4:19 pm
It freezes really well! Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve made my own pureed pumpkin and it was much better than canned. Unfortunately,my attempt to grow pumpkins last year failed, so I didn’t do much. Maybe this year.
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February 21, 2014 at 5:34 pm
They look wonderful! I think I will hunt down powdered eggs too. We go through eggs fast as vegetarians they are a good protein source but powdered would be great for cooking! I used to love the pumpkin and choc chunk muffins they used to have at the Boulevard Cafe at the Arts Centre! Yum!
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February 21, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Looks good
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February 21, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Your Pumpkin loaves and muffins look Yumalicious! (That’s my favorite -alicious word)
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February 21, 2014 at 7:54 pm
I LOVE all things pumpkin!! I have never tried powdered eggs, I have purchased individually packaged egg beaters and stored them in the freezer for egg emergencies. Pumpkin bread is my favorite kind of bread, I usually make mine with raisins, I will have to try chocolate chips instead next time.
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February 21, 2014 at 9:52 pm
My husband prefers it when I put walnuts in rather than chocolate chips, but I bet raisins would be very good. Thanks for sharing your tip!
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February 22, 2014 at 12:04 am
Ooh these look really good! Mmm
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February 22, 2014 at 12:16 am
I also haven’t used powdered egg but could see it would be useful to have around the house. Your pumpkin bread and muffins look great!
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February 22, 2014 at 4:33 am
Wait, there are pumpkin haters?? That’s weird-a-licious! These look yum especially with those chocolate chippers!! I use Energize Egg Replacer, which is powdered and sold in a box. I’m vegan so I don’t eat eggs. It’s found at the health food store. Even for egg eaters…this can be kept in the pantry for a long time and works well in a pinch!
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February 22, 2014 at 8:28 am
Thanks for the great suggestion for my Vegan readers, and also for anyone allergic to eggs. My sister’s son has an egg allergy, and she’s always looking for good egg replacers, particularly for baked goods recipes.
Hope to see you back again!
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February 22, 2014 at 12:36 pm
I WILL be back for sure! If you or your sister ever need ideas about egg-free food, just drop me a line! Cheers!
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February 22, 2014 at 6:56 am
What a great post. i stopped by to visit because I noticed you had subscribed to my blog. I am always curious about what. I have to offer, because I see some AMAZING things on your blog. I love pumpkin bread, but have never tried powdered eggs. I wonder if they would be at a co-op. I do keep powdered milk on hand, though. I have done that for decades. It saves me money because I always use it for cooking and baking. Your photos are lovely, too. I still have applesauce bread to use up, but I might have to try your recipe next. Thanks for sharing it.
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February 22, 2014 at 4:25 pm
I love chocolate. I love pumpkin. I don’t see how this could possibly go wrong … or why I didn’t think of it before, but what a great combination for a healthier bread! Thanks for sharing–I’m looking forward to trying the recipe soon … and maybe powdered eggs too!
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February 23, 2014 at 6:59 pm
These look great – anything pumpkin is always winner for me! I use powdered vegan eggs as a substitute and they are wonderful – they can be whipped and folded in and everything just like the real deal – makes the possibilities all the greater, such as the potential for macaroons one day! 🙂 I’ve never seen canned pumpkin in our city so here by pumpkin season in the US it becomes rather expensive to keep up with all the wonderful recipes.
When making muffins in a liner do you spray the liner with non-stick or just spoon the mixture straight in and hold thumbs? I got a whole stack as a present and I’ve never really dabbled in liners,.
Thanks for stopping by on my blog – now I’ve also discovered interesting new reading material on yours! 😀
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February 24, 2014 at 7:41 am
Thanks for stopping by and for your suggestion about powdered vegan eggs. I’ll have to find some and try them out.
Regarding paper muffin liners, you just pop them into the muffin tins, fill, and cook! No nonstick spray or anything!
Have a great day!
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February 24, 2014 at 9:17 am
I can smell them already! I have never actually used powdered eggs but do have powdered egg substitute (eggs and I don’t always get along), which works for baking. It seems like I would likely save a ton of money getting a can of powdered eggs to use for my family’s baked goods, though! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Pinned!
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February 24, 2014 at 9:21 am
Thanks for visiting my blog! A few of my readers have mentioned powdered egg substitute, and I think I’ll check that out next.
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March 2, 2014 at 11:52 am
Looks really good!
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April 23, 2014 at 8:49 pm
Reblogged this on My Foray Into Food Storage and commented:
One of my most favorite things to eat: chocolate chip pumpkin bread! YUM!
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April 24, 2014 at 12:30 am
Thoroughly enjoyed reading that! I’d use powdered eggs if I HAD to. I have a recipe for buns that calls specifically for powdered milk and it’s Bart-a-liscious! Haha!
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April 24, 2014 at 8:08 am
I don’t think you can go wrong with pumpkin bread with or without powdered eggs. It is nice to know there are “good tasting” powdered eggs out there. Scott
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April 24, 2014 at 9:13 am
I have never tried powdered eggs on their own. I’ve only used them in baking, and I don’t notice any difference between fresh eggs and powdered eggs when baking.
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April 27, 2014 at 1:32 am
that looks brilliant! Im drooling just seeing them! Great job there
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April 27, 2014 at 1:33 am
please share the recipe:) thanks—shreeya,mumbai
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