Pumpkin Bread

In my short book of life, it can't be fall without pumpkin bread.  It's so delicious I don't know where to file it in my cookbook.  Does it go in the bread section?  Although it's not a traditional bread, or does it go in the dessert section?  As it is savory sweet.  It has to be gluten-free of course, so here's the recipe tweaked from the Gluten Free Goddess website.  Karina calls it Pumpkin Chai Bread with Cranberries, since I'm a sucker for chai, I couldn't pass up this recipe.

In a Large Bowl:
1 heaping cup of pumpkin, canned is fine
1/2 cup of light oil, I've used olive or coconut, coconut makes it a little more moist, so add a little less
1 cup brown sugar, which I cut to 1/2 cup, I like to serve this for breakfast
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs, or egg replacer
1/3 to 1/2 cup juice, I use whatever I have on hand, apple, cranberry, or orange.  I've even used apple syrup.

Stir together in another Bowl:
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour, I use 1 cup sorghum, 1/4 cup buckwheat, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons xantuan gum or guar gum, or a combo of both
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice or cardamom, cardamom is amazing!
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves or nutmeg

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ones a cup at a time.  Should come out with a cake like consistency, not to wet, not to dry.  If it is to wet add a little flour, if to dry add a little more juice.

Add in 1 cup cranberries, fresh or dried, or dried cherries, rasins would work too if that is all you have.  I also add in 1 cup of chopped nuts, pecans are my favorite, but I've added almonds and pumpkin seeds too.  I've even done a mixture of nuts.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.  Cook for 40 min. at 350, then cover with foil and cook for another 20 minutes, totaling 60 minutes of cook time.  I found that it is perfectly brown at 40 minutes and starts to get to brown after that, but the middle is not done at 40 minutes, so it needs to stay in for the full 60.  Check to make sure it is done.  When touching the middle it shouldn't wiggle, if it does put it back in for another 7 minutes.  Ah, luck number seven.  When this amazing loaf is done cooking, allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes in the pan, then gently work around the edges with a rubber spatula and cool on a cooling rack for as long as you can withhold eating it.  It's wonderful plain, but good with some type of butter spread too.