Autumn holds a special place in my heart; I was born in Autumn and I feel a pull – a strong kinship to this time of the year. I love the sights and smell of the season – burnished crimson leaves, crisp red apples, cinnamon spice pumpkin lattes, hayrides, pumpkin patches, mums exploding with color, and the majestic vistas filled with nature’s glory in New England. Autumn is my favorite baking season with a bountiful array of ingredients to create flavorful treats.

Pumpkin tea bread is so easy to make and although I have so many different variations, I still find new recipes to create. I love blueberries so I thought why not combine blueberries, from the summer, with a pumpkin flavor from the fall. Add a crumb topping for extra texture for an amazing tea bread to accompany a rich Chai Tea.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” F. Scott Fitgerald.

 

 

Nonstick cooking spray
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ tsp. pumpkin spice
⅔ cup buttermilk
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup butter softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup fresh blueberries

1 recipe Almond-Oat Streusel Topping

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl stir together the next five ingredients. In a small bowl combine buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla.

 

In a large bowl beat butter and both sugars with a mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately, beating on low after each addition just until combined (batter will be stiff). Fold in blueberries.

 

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Top with Almond-Oat Streusel Topping. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool loaf pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

 

Almond-Oat Streusel Topping

In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. each rolled oats and sliced almonds, 4 tsp. all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. the ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir in 3 Tbsp. melted butter.