Cranberry Pumpkin Bread (Gluten-free)

 Over the last week or so I have been longing for all things pumpkin.  Taking a temporary break from writing today, I have allowed myself to indulge in baking pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin scones, pumpkin spice muffins, and this cranberry pumpkin bread.  Believe it or not, I was able to make all of the above recipes from one large can of pumpkin.  I have adapted this recipe to be gluten-free, but the original recipe comes from Julie Van Rosendaal's Grazing:  Portable snacks and finger foods for anytime, anywhere.  If you want to make this with wheat, simply substitute the gluten-free flour for regular flour.  This loaf was delicious!

  

 Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 tsp. pure vanilla

2 cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (see recipe for Greta's gluten free flour blend under "gluten free" subject heading or use your own)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. gluten free baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dried cranberries, or 1 cup fresh

1/2 cup chopped pecans

 Method
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar for a minute, until it resembles wet sand.  Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until well blended.

3.  In another bowl combine gluten-free flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add about one third to the butter mixture, beating on low or stirring by hand just until combined.  Add half the buttermilk in the same manner, then another one third flour, the remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour along with the cranberries and chopped pecans.

4.  Pour batter into an 8" x 4" or 9" x 5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake for one hour and then minutes, until golden and springy to the touch.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  

 

 It is best to let this fully cool before you slice it.  I used a serrated knife which worked well, though with the addition of cranberries and pecans, the bread was a little crumbly when it was sliced.

This batter works well as muffins too:  divide the batter among 12 muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with paper liners.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch.