Wow, 2 dessert type recipes and no savory recipes to balance it out! The night that I made the loaf I also made Sweet Potato Soup. It was a very orange day!
The oven was on for some homemade pita pizzas so I cooked up some fresh pumpkin for the loaf. The cranberries were left over from Canadian Thanksgiving (Columbus Day weekend in the US) and were calling out to be used soon. Most cranberry loaf recipes call for oranges, and look dry. The mixture of the moist pumpkin with the tart cranberries and a little sweetness from the raisins and the loaf itself, make this a loaf that does not require additional butter for flavor or moisture.
The ground pumpkin spice brought the flavors together. I bought the spice using the mothering Mother mini sealed bulk bag from a store that sells bulk herbs and spices. Some of the spice did not fit into a jar and so the aroma from the cotton bag was wafting into the kitchen for several days! You do not have to have pumpkin spice. A homemade alternative is listed at the bottom of the recipe.
Halloween is coming, Thanksgiving (US) is coming! Enjoy the magic of savory root vegetables!
3/4 cup sucanat sugar
1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs or 1/2 cup applesauce with 1T safflower oil
1/2 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
Let the loaf cool completely, if you can wait, and then begin to slice and enjoy!
When outside of the pumpkin is soft with the press of a finger, take it out of the oven and remove the soft flesh from inside the pumpkin. Cool slightly, then puree.
Hi Sydney.. In this time of THANKSGIVING, thought i’d let you know how much i benefit and enjoy MMNN! Wish i could upload the photo i took of the Pecan Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf! I doubled the recipe, which i followed pretty much to the word (minus nutmeg, which i’m allergic to) Shared it with folks at the “Reskilling our Waterways” conference up in New Paltz, hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Transition Hub.. It was savored by many, and was a tremendous hit at that.. so thanks for that, and also the tips on “hair cleansers”. i grew up with a splash of vinegar as rinse (my mom was “from the old country”) but the baking soda is a new one on me.. Thanks again, Sydney, and know you have grateful followers… ~ andrea
Andrea, thanks for the feedback on the mothering Mother Newsletter (MMNN) and the pumpkin loaf! Thanks for sharing the food, and your work for the waterways! Many THANKS to you. Enjoy the holiday season!
Peace