Pumpkin Spoon Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree pure canned
• 0.3 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 3 large eggs separated
• 1 tablespoon chives fresh chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 cup cornmeal yellow stone-ground
• 0.3 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted (1 stick)
• 2.5 cups milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• loaf pan
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring milk, butter, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, gradually whisk in cornmeal, and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat; whisk in pumpkin purée.
3. Whisk egg yolks, chives, thyme, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
4. Whisk in cornmeal mixture.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
6. Whisk 1/4 of whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites. Scrape batter into a 9x5" loaf pan.
7. Bake until spoon bread is set and begins to pull away from sides of pan, 30–40 minutes.
8. Let cool slightly before serving.