my.requiescence.

Pumpkin Walnut Cranberry Bread

For some unknown reason, my face has decided to relive my youthful teenage years this week, which is a nice way of saying pimples of gargantuous proportions and intense redness have unapologetically assumed residence on my face. Not quite sure why my face has decided to punish me; it could be the stress, it could be the junk food, or it could be that my face is now predicting snow storms in the Northeast (by size and intensity of color)- in which case the one right between my eyebrows represents the 12 inches last week, the one to the right of my nose was the 6 inches this week… and the one next to that predicts a few inches next week!

The pimples have nothing to do with this quickbread, though “pimples” and “pumpkin” both start with the same letter, so I could say that this post is brought to you by the Letter P. I could also remark how the fresh red cranberries that stud each slice of bread are very reminiscent of the recent unwanted topological additions to my face. But seriously, enough about my face already- let’s talk pumpkin, cranberries, and walnuts with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg! This bread is very moist and flavorful, from to the pumpkin goodness and spices and unexpected addition of orange zest. I really enjoyed the tart cranberries, and from another cranberry quickbread, learned the benefits of using both fresh cranberries and sweeter dried cranberries. The flavors are deliciously Fall, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it for breakfast almost every day of this very wintery week- toasted, with a little pat of butter, and a smile on my face.

Pumpkin Walnut Cranberry Bread

adapted from Serious Eats, via The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread

makes 2 very hefty loaves (I halved the recipe, using 2 extra large eggs and a little extra pumpkin puree to compensate)

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 2/3 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups sugar
Zest of 1 small orange
7/8 cup water
4 1/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
2 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups cranberries (I added 1/4 cup of dried cranberries to a halved recipe)
1 1/3 cups toasted walnut pieces
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of the loaves

1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cooled slightly, with the eggs. 
3. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and sugar. 
4. Stir the orange zest into the water then add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine.
   
5. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and whisk together.
   
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients and fold gently until almost combined, then add the cranberries and walnuts. Finish with a few gentle strokes combine without over-mixing.
   
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf lightly with the turbinado sugar, about 1 tablespoon per loaf, to form a crystal crust. 
8. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the loaf. (My loaf took about 1 hour 20 minutes)
   
9. Cool the loaves in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out of the pans and place the loaves on a wire rack until completely cooled. Wrap in plastic film and store in the refrigerator. These loaves keep well for 3 to 4 days, and freeze well if wrapped in plastic and then foil.