This moist and fluffy Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf with accents of citrus, spice and sparkly sugar crystals on top gets the nickname of "Sugar Plum Fairy Bread" for the holidays. I call it this because (reason one, I love The Nutcracker Ballet.) And two, because it is just so sweet and lovely - the aroma dances through the air as you bake it.
Instead of "plums" I've included plenty of sweet dried cranberries. And for fairy dust, there is a sprinkling of sparkly raw demerara sugar crystals over top the loaf. This pumpkin-filled bread is perfect paired with some hot soy cocoa or afternoon cup of tea. This recipe would also be lovely baked into pumpkin muffins! Get my recipe!..
What is Demerara Sugar? I used raw demerara sugar in this recipe. It can be substituted with traditional dry sugar (organic) - but here is why I love it..
from wisegeek.org: "Demerara sugar is a type of unrefined sugar with a large grain and a pale to golden yellow color. It is suitable for a number of cooking and baking projects, and tends to be very popular as a sweetener for tea and coffee. Demerara sugar is not refined, so it has a rich, creamy, molasses-like flavor which enhances baked goods. The large grains also remain crunchy through cooking, which makes demerara sugar a great choice of sprinkled topping on scones and similar dishes which might otherwise have a uniform texture."
..I like it because it gives a very sparkly tone and texture to the bread - especially the top of the loaf. Very sugar plum fairy, if you ask me.
Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf with citrus
vegan, makes one loaf
dry:
1 ¾ cup white flour, organic (Bob's Red Mill used)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup raw demerara sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup dried cranberries
wet:
¼ cup fresh satsuma or orange juice + ½ teaspoon citrus zest
½ cup water + 1 tablespoon flax seeds
⅓ cup oil (try safflower oil or melted virgin coconut oil)
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
Add-in's optional:
* ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
* ¼ cup chopped nuts (try pecans)
* 2 tablespoon rolled oats
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flax seeds with the water, stir well, and set aside for five minutes to thicken.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. Fold in the wet. Fold and stir until mixture is smoothed. It will be a soft, pourable, silky and thick texture - not liquid.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes - or until toothpick test comes out clean.
Let cool at least ten-twenty minutes before slicing. Serve warm or chill in fridge for up to about 3 days. Will freeze well.
note: if baking as muffins bake for about 17-22 minutes.
***contest below has ended***
Lastly, my good friend (and talented blogger) Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen has started a new website that I think is pretty fantastic, so I am happy to share this Holiday Block Party from her to you guys. (Plus you all have a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card!)..
It's a Holiday Block Party, and you're just 24 hours away from winning a last-minute $500 Holiday Shopping Spree from Good Cook!
There's a new neighbor in the bloggy culdesac, so we're having a celebration to say hello and you're invited! HisXHers.com is a new online video series with Cheeky Kitchen's Brooke McLay and Daddy Evolving's Eldon Kartcher. As a divorced mom and gay, widowed dad, Brooke and Eldon know a little about the untraditional paths life can take. They also know, as you do, how busy life can get. So, as real life besties with a penchant for food, design, and home, they decided it was time to create a deliciously stylish approach to the things we do everyday while keeping it all simple, realistic, and totally sexylicious.
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STEP 1.
Visit all 8 of the blogs below & hunt for the answer to the secret question in their exclusive HisXHers.com episode:
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Ready to get yer partay on?
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This episodes Secret Holiday Scavenger Hunt question is:
What's the secret to securing your schmexy ribbon on your photos?
