It all started last year, before Rosh Hashana when we went apple picking for the third time in two weeks and needless to say, we had several extra apples and were at the point where eating one more apple wouldn’t keep the doctor away. Eating any more apples would be inviting a trip to the doctor for apple-tinged vomit.
So there we were with loads of extra apples. We made apple cake, apple muffins and apple kugel. Then we hit the jackpot when we found a super easy and surprisingly yummy apple pie recipe. We started baking and wound up making six of them – one for each of my kids’ morahs. And we hand-delivered them on erev Rosh Hashana. They were such a hit that we decided to make it a family tradition and bake for our beloved teachers each year before Rosh Hashana.
Except that Rosh Hashana was really early this year and we didn’t have a chance to go apple picking and did I mention that Rosh Hashana was like on the third day of school? So we didn’t bake for the teachers like we wanted to – and it made the kids (and me) kind of sad. So we changed gears and decided to bake for Sukkot. Apple pie isnt really a Sukkot kind of dessert so we went with pumpkin bread and I have to say, it came out fantastic. It’s a good thing we made 10 (there are 9 teachers this year) because we inhaled one as soon as they cooled off.
Here’s th link to the recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/ginger-pumpkin-bread
Just as a note, we left out the ginger cause we didn’t have any and also, cause yuck, ginger. The recipe is kind of cool because each recipe makes two cakes so we only had to make it five (!) times. Oh, and one more thing, don’t turn the kitchen aid on to a setting higher than 3. We did, we were impatient and well, let’s just say that our clothing (and kitchen cabinets, floors, windows and counters) were so full of pumpkin batter that we filled up the washing machine. Seriously. Sock, kippahs, everything.
While the cakes were baking we got out our paints and brushes and painted boxes to pack our cakes into. A few years ago we ordered a truck load of rectangular paper boxes for mishloach manot because it was so much cheaper to order 200 of them than it was to order 50. We wound up with a few extra and they came in super-handy here. The kids were so proud of themselves when they were done painting. I think they came out adorable. Above is a picture of one of the boxes.
So dear Primer and Kindergarten morahs, we hope you loved the pumpkin bread as much as we love you!