Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Bread

Dense, moist, and delicious, this bread is great as a quick snack or with a bit of whipped honey butter for afternoon tea.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9 1/4x5 1/4x3-inch loaf pan. Line bottom and 2 long sides with waxed paper. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Transfer batter to pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread at short ends to loosen from pan. Turn bread out onto rack; peel off waxed paper. Cool bread completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

Makes 1 loaf

Bon Appétit October 2003

--

Substitutions: Whole wheat flour in place of white, cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spice, non-fat plain yogurt instead of butter, only used a 1/2 cup of sugar, no walnuts.