Pumpkin Manchego Beer Bread

I am in the midst of a very important project. Forget school, forget work. I'm currently fortifying myself for winter.

I, like my furrier friends, am filling my freezer and filling out my waistline in the hopes that I will survive the colder months. Just last night, in fact, my flatmates and I burrowed into the icy depths of our freezer to retrieve a few slices of Pumpkin Manchego Beer Bread I made last week.

The colder it gets, the lazier I get, so having food on hand saves me from ordering takeout every night. It might surprise you, but I don't cook nearly as often as I should. Most of my time in the kitchen is dedicated to boiling the kettle.

While it is probably more prudent to make a big batch of stew or soup that you can pull out in a dire dinnertime situation, might I suggest this quickbread instead? It's great with a pat of salted butter alongside a bowl of chilli or crumbled into a savory bread pudding. Or simply eaten straight out of the pan.

Pumpkin Manchego Beer Bread
Makes one loaf
Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 large egg, slightly beaten
8 ounces beer
1 1/2 cups grated Manchego cheese
Pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and spices. In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin, butter, and egg. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in pumpkin mixture and beer. Stir to combine. Fold in grated Manchego, careful not to over-mix. Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over top. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve with salted butter.

More Beer Bread
Fruity Walnut Beer Bread
Caramel Apple Beer Bread
Spiced Octoberfest Beer Bread