ABOVE • A sweet gift. Growing up, Melissa didn’t like to cook, but her mother still taught her a signi cant number of culinary tips and tricks.“I’m truly thankful for that time spent with my mom and that she taught me despite my reluctance,” Melissa coveys. Now, she loves to spend time in the kitchen, and she cherishes this cutting board that her husband made for her.“I use it every single day!” she exclaims. T MELISSA LOVES TO COOK, BAKE AND SHARE RECIPES. HERE, SHE EXPLAINS HOW TO MAKE HER PUMPKIN-SHAPED BREAD LOAF. I MAKE the dough in my Zojirushi brand bread machine. The recipe is from my favorite cookbook: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger. I typically use the Franksbrøt or the Zopf (Swiss Egg Bread) recipes for this purpose. I SET IT on the dough cycle, so it does the kneading and rst rise, but doesn’t bake it. I take it out and form it into a round, then I use cotton kitchen twine to tie it up into a pumpkin shape. Just do it loosely so the twine doesn’t get lost inside the bread! I THEN LET the dough rise a second time covered by a slightly damp cotton tea towel, then bake at about 350F until done (sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or the internal temperature is approximately 190 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your preference). I love using my Oxo thermometer not only for making sure meat is done, but also for temping bread.Then I cut the twine off the bread. Once it’s cool, I burrow a little cinnamon stick into the center for a stem. THE TASTIEST PUMPKIN SEE SOURCES, PAGE 112. HOLIDAYdécor | 2022 101
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