Pueblo Pumpkin Pinion Nut Sweetbread

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup finely mashed or pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
2 eggs beaten foamy
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup pine nuts

Rio Grande Pueblo peoples traditionally serve a variant of this
sweetbread to parties of nut-pickers in September when piqon nuts are
bing picked from the mountain slope trees. Families camp for many weeks
in traditional areas reserved to clans.

In the recipe you can use either cooking-type pumpkin (these have
necks and thick, meaty bodies, not like jack o' lantern pumpkins) or a
sweet bright orange squash, like butternut or canned pumpkin.
Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking
powder, sugar, spices. Stir in pumpkin, eggs, butter. Stir pine nuts
into thick batter. Scrape into a greased 6 x 9 loaf pan. Bake for 1
hour or until knif inserted in bread comes out clean.

This sweetish, spicy bread goes well with soups, stews, and can also
be a dessert, especially if you cut it apart and put yoghurt or
applesauce over it.


Yield: one loaf