Pumpkin Spice Bread Bites with Spiced Cream Cheese Dip

There is something about pumpkins that make them almost completely inseparable from fall, especially as it gets close to Thanksgiving. It's hard for me not to think in "pumpkin" mode when it comes to baking during this time of year. You know what I mean, don't you? The memories that fill your mind as the smell of pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger wafts through your house when baking a pumpkin pie or even pumpkin bread. If you are like me (when it comes to pumpkins and fall), than this recipe is for you. It's a marriage of Monkey Bread and Pumpkin Quick Bread served with a side of Pumpkin Cheesecake.

This recipe came about through a winding rabbit trail of events. Many months ago, I came up with a recipe for Cinnamon Craisin Oat Bread, which I shared with a good friend. She then combined my recipe with another to make Pumpkin Craisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread, which I have yet to make but it sounds divine. Then a few weeks ago I was trying to decide what to make for a friend's going away party and had a fantastic idea for combining the concept of monkey bread with the pumpkin swirl bread to create a masterpiece. Well, maybe not a masterpiece but something super yummy.

• 3/4 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 4 - 4 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, divided 

Sugar and Spice "Rub"

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

Directions

1. In the bottom of your KitchenAid mixing bowl, combine water, 2 tablespoons oil, sugar, and yeast. Top with pumpkin puree, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, flour, and oats; then add salt. Using your bread hook attachment, turn the mixer to stir or even stage 2. You could probably also do this in your bread machine but you'd probably want to combine the first 6 ingredients before place them in the bottom of the machine. Top with the dry ingredients and set to dough, then push start.
2. Once the dough has come together and formed a nice smooth ball, place a tea towel over the top of the bowl and set it aside to ride for 45-60 minutes. Then empty dough out onto a floured surface, knead, and divide into 1" pieces.
3. Moisten each piece slightly with melted coconut oil; roll in "sugar and spice rub" until well coated and place in a greased bundt pan. (If your dough is sticky enough, you won't need the extra tablespoon of oil.) If I have any leftover sugar mixture, I sprinkle it over the top of the bread.
4. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes, even less if you are using quick-rise yeast. (If you are short on time, you can always put the dough in the oven during the preheat cycle to finish rising.)
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.
6. Place your serving dish upside down over the top of the bundt pan and then flip it over to turn the bread out onto your dish. Pull apart, dip (see recipe below), and enjoy!

the dough is ready to cover for rising

spiced brown sugar for coating the dough

cut into 1" pieces

just roll in spiced sugar to coat

toss into a greased bundt pan, bake, and...

Voila!

Spiced Cream Cheese Dip

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup half''n'half
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened

Directions

Cream together all of the ingredients. Place in a pint mason jar and set in the middle of you bread bites. (A pint jar fits perfectly in the center of mine but then my bundt pan has a slightly wider interior ring.)