Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Bread Croutons

These croutons have a nice flavor and texture. They make a nice addition to Autumn & Holiday salads and soups. Use your favorite recipe for Pumpkin bread, or see my recipe: "Patricia's Pumpkin Bread."

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon lemon or unflavored olive oil

1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate

3 teaspoons brown sugar 

2 teaspoons dried sage leaves

1 teaspoon ground ginger 
1 loaf pumpkin bread, cubed

Method: 

Place on a foil lined baking pan, inside the oven, overnight to dry, or dry in 250* oven for 20 minutes. 

 Heat butter and orange concentrate in a large microwaveable bowl, at 25 second intervals, until melted. With a small mortar and pestle grind together sage and ginger. (If you do not have a mortar and pestle, rub sage between your palms, over the bowl with the butter and orange concentrate.) 

Add olive oil, brown sugar, sage and ginger. Stir with a fork. Add bread cubes and gently stir with a rubber or silicone spatula to coat with butter & spice mixture. 

Return to the foil lined baking pan, and bake at 300* for 20 - 25 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy, stirring frequently, so that they do not burn.

 Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Makes about 6 cups. 

Note: I hadn't planned to create this crouton recipe, but I burnt just the sides and bottoms of two loaves of pumpkin bread! I trimmed away the burnt areas and made croutons. These are wonderful on salad, butternut squash soup and tomato bisque. (My husband liked them so much that he snacked on these croutons by themselves.) They are a "happy mistake."

Tomato Bisque Soup with Savory Pumpkin Bread Croutons