Pumpkin Bread Sugar Skulls for Dia De Los Muertos

These little sugar skulls are great on their own, some of us like them with chocolate chips, some of us prefer chunky sugar on top for a crunchy topping or drizzled with maple brown butter glaze. whatever you prefer, ill have tips for each.

Also how cute is this nordicware pan I scored at homegoods..! The kids have made blueberry muffins in them, brownies and giant skull ice cubes. ive found that wiping them down with shortening is the very best trick to having them pop right out without any sticking or yucky flavor from a spray product like pam.

Pumpkin bread RECIPE:

My sister and I have been making this for over 19 years and I think it came from an old gharring family recipe book way before I was a Gharring myself. Sometimes we add half a bag of chocolate chips to the mix, chunky sugar on top or lately I've been making them into cute little muffins and topping with Brown Butter Maple icing

• 2 cups bread flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin (do not use Trader Joe’s organic one.. Libby's is great)

Set oven to 350. Generously grease two 8x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour or 10 mini loaf pans (I like to line with parchment :)

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.

In your kitchen aid mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look a little bumpy.. that’s great :)

Add the flour mixture+mix on low speed until combined.

Divide into pans+top with turbinado sugar or chunky sugar crystals

Optional Brown butter Maple glaze:

1 stick butter-browned

while hot add in:

4-5 cups of powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp maple extract

Equally deliciouso sugar skull images by HeidiVetterPhotography.com