Marjorie's Pumpkin Loaf

My mother-in-law made a special request for an adaptation of this recipe for pumpkin loaf. I made it with dried cranberries instead of the raisins called for in the original recipe, and I think it was very successful. It is a moist dessert bread, perfect to serve with some aged Cheddar.

2/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries

Grease a loaf pan (or line it with parchment paper). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients: flours and starches, cinnamon, xanthan gum, soda, salt.
In a smaller bowl, whisk vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Stir wet ingredients lightly into dry ingredients; fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 325F for about one hour, cheking after 50 minutes.

Pumpkin Pies

Why go to the bother of making one pumpkin pie when, for the same amount of effort, you can make two? Two delicious custardy smooth pies in gluten-free crusts. And why make a 9" pie when you can make a 10" pie? This recipe makes two ten-inch pies. Here's the crust recipe.

The filling's smoothness and lightness rely on a tip from Mark Bittman -- slowly warming the custard on the stovetop until it is hot to the touch, then pouring the warm filling into a freshly baked, still warm crust. This makes the custard the smoothest you can imagine -- and prevents burning the crust's delicate edges when you bake the pie. Warm the filling while baking the pie crust.

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (or more)
1/4 grated nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt
3 cups pumpkin or squash puree (canned okay)
3 cups half-and-half, light cream, or whole milk

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, beat the eggs with the sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk in the pumpkin and then the milk or cream. While the crust is baking, warm the filling mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot to the touch; do not boil.

Place two pie plates with two warm crusts on a baking sheet. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crusts and bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350F, until set but still moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Roll

A jelly-roll type of deal, with pumpkin in the sponge cake and lots of cream-cheese frosting instead of "jelly." You could put lots less sugar in the frosting, I think, but I recreate the original recipe because I haven't tested a lower-sugar version.

1/4 cup each amaranth, rice, and soy flours
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 rounded tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a smaller bowl; add sugar and lemon juice and stir. Mix lightly into dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold gently into batter.

Spoon out onto a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet (11x17") and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Roll in a towel while still hot. Cool.

Spread the cooled pumpkin cake with cream-cheese frosting, blended until free of lumps:
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup icing sugar (or less)
. . . and roll up like a jelly roll.

Makes 1 log of pumpkin-cream cheese goodness.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Muffins

In pumpkin season, pumpkin recipes are indispensable! We have any number of pumpkinny squash proliferating in our garden (read: taking over our entire yard and property). This is a tasty and not-too-sweet cheesecakey muffin.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour (or another 3/4 cup brown rice flour)
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 4-oz pkg cream cheese, cut in 12 cubes

In a large bowl, mix flours and starches, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin, butter, and sour cream. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Fill greased muffin cups 1/3 full. Place a cube of cream cheese in the centre of each. Add more batter to fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for approx. 15 to 20 minutes.