I have become utterly enamored of @thearcanagame in recent months. And if you’re interested in beautiful, gender-inclusive, Tarot-themed visual novels, you should be too! So it was only a matter of time before I combined my new fandom with baking.
A spiced pumpkin bread features prominently in the first chapters of the game; it’s a favorite treat for you and your magical mentor Asra. Most American pumpkin breads are quick breads, made with baking soda or baking powder for leavening, but those chemical leaveners are a fairly modern invention. So I decided that my pumpkin bread would be yeasted, and I eventually settled on a spiced pumpkin couronne (the freeform cousin of the babka). The dough is infused with lapsang souchong, Asra’s favorite beverage, and swirled with a puree of pumpkin spiced with Syrian baharat, a spice mix that includes cardamom and rose petals among more traditional flavors.
The result, by the way, was entirely delicious. The smoky tea really complements the spices and sweetness with a haunting scent of autumn. I can see why it would be worth making the Countess wait!
~My Tumblr Back-Up And Stuffs~ 