Pumpkin Corn Bread

Less than two days remain until Halloween! The house is festooned with decorations...

and pumpkin cornbread is baking in the oven!

While Zach isn't usually a fan of pumpkin (I know, scandalous at this time of year, right? :-), I've discovered that he does enjoy dishes that combine pumpkin along with other ingredients, and I, of course, have been more than willing to experiment with pumpkin versions of traditionally non-pumpkin dishes... such as cornbread!

I do realize that my mom and grandmother, who, in congruence with their pecan pie philosophy, also firmly believe that any deviation from the family's historic cornbread recipe is blasphemy of the most dangerous sort, would be likely be scandalized by the idea of adding pumpkin to cornbread. However, the combination of pumpkin and corn, two alluringly golden vegetables, seems simply natural to me...

Indeed, the pumpkin added extra moistness and a beautiful layer of nutty sweetness to the cornbread, and I think, perhaps, even my grandmother would be content dipping a wedge of this bread into some stewed tomatoes...

Pumpkin Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
2 T honey
2 egg whites
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned or home-cooked - either option works beautifully)

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8X8 baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.
~ Gently stir together the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, salt, and baking powder, and set the mixture aside.
~ Whisk together the honey, egg whites, milk, lemon juice, and pureed pumpkin until well combined and frothy.
~ Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones, until just combined.
~ Pour the batter into the baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes - until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm, with a bit of butter or vegan marg...