Pumpkin Cheese Braid Food

THE BEST PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans.
• Whisk together the sugar and oil in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and pumpkin until combined.
• Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Add half the water and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour and water.
• Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake until cake tester comes out clean and the loaves are golden brown, about 1 hour. Let the loaves cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

BRAIDED PUMPKIN-CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine milk, warm water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Add oil, pumpkin puree, flour, and salt in the order listed. Mix until a soft, smooth, and tacky dough forms. Adjust flour and water amounts if dough is too sticky.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 2 balls and lightly flour each. Return 1 ball to the covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Roll the remaining ball into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 of the Colby-Jack cheese evenly over the surface. Roll dough up from the short side like a jelly roll and pinch seams to seal.
• Cut roll lengthwise down the middle using a sharp, non-serrated knife. Place two halves next to each other, cut-sides facing up, and braid together starting by placing right side over left. Do your best to keep the cut-sides facing upwards. Seal both ends of the braid and place into a greased loaf pan, cut-sides up.
• Cover dough with plastic. Repeat rolling, filling, and braiding with the remaining dough. Let loaves rise until they reach the top of the loaf pan or start to peek above it, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Rotate pans and tent loaves with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Remove loaf pans from the oven; cool for 5 minutes. Cool loaves on a rack for 1 hour.

CHEESECAKE-STUFFED PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• For the cheesecake swirl: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and egg in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined; set aside.
• For the pumpkin bread: Generously spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin puree in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pumpkin batter. Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter, then put the reserved pumpkin batter in a line down the center of the pan. Insert the tip of a paring knife into the batter and drag it through and up to swirl 5 to 6 times.
• Bake until the top is cracked and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert onto a platter or cake stand and flip upright. Let cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

PUMPKIN-CREAM CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in pumpkin. Gradually add combined dry ingredients, mixing after each addition just until moistened. Stir in nuts.
• Pour into 2 greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pans.
• Bake 55 min.or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.