Well, Mother Nature has played a cruel joke on Arizona.  And she is kind of making me look like a bit of a fibber too.

For those of you that remember my last post about my Pumpkin Pie Waffles, I gushed about the hints of fall brimming here in Scottsdale, AZ.  However, according to our friendly local weather forecasters, some silly high-pressured  front decided to make an appearance and with it came some vaguely familiar summer weather.

So, as I was busy obliging my pumpkin obsession all week, I had to fool myself into pretending that the weather outside more resembled the temperature of my pool, rather than the temperature of my oven.

I kept with my pumpkin-goodness theme and while I was busy filling my boys with their “orange oatmeal cake”, I also decided to whip up some Pumpkin Risotto (using fresh pumpkin) and a loaf of my favorite Pumpkin Streusel Bread (recipe below).

Oh, and on the note of that “orange oatmeal cake”, I will be posting my recipe soon for Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cake.  It is full of the flavors, smell, and feel of autumn. It is also an amazingly healthy and hearty way to start the cooler mornings. But I think I will give myself some time before sharing, just to give the outside temperatures a chance to catch up with the seemingly off-beat season of my kitchen.

Now, about that Pumpkin Streusel Bread.  This is one of my favorite treats. I have made it many times. Yet, I always seem to tweak it. Therefore, no two batches are ever totally the same.  This recipe is for my latest loaf. It came out perfect, with the exception that I actually broke one of the cardinal rules in my post about how to avoid gluten-free and allergy-free baking mishaps.

I am always chirping about the importance of choosing the right size pan for your baking.  If a recipe calls for a large (9×5 inch) loaf pan, then you should be using a large (9×5 inch) loaf pan, not a smaller (8×4 inch) loaf pan. Otherwise, you risk your batter over-flowing or under-cooking.

In this case, I knew that this was a large (9×5 inch) loaf pan type of recipe.  But, for some reason (haste? multi-tasking? absent-mindedness?), I used one of my smaller pans. Luckily, I realized this in time and placed some foil under the pan to capture any spillage.  The resulting loaf turned out great, after a little tweaking of the bake time and the turning of a blind eye to my slightly sunken center (read my baking tips post to see why this happened).  But, lesson learned. Practice what I preach.

PUMPKIN STREUSEL BREAD: GLUTEN FREE
(and easily Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, and Egg-Free)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups: gluten-free flour blend (I used Carol’s Amazing All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour)

1/2 Cup: almond flour (For Nut-Free Version: use an additional 1/2 cup all purpose flour)

1/4 Cup: quinoa flour (or certified gluten free oat flour)

1/4 tsp: xanthan gum, unless flour blend you are using already contains it

2 tsp: pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon

2 tsp: baking soda

1/2 tsp: salt

1/2 Cup: Organic Palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 Cup: brown sugar, packed

8 Tbsp: butter, softened -1 stick (For Dairy-Free Version: use 8 Tbsp Organic Canola Oil or 1 Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Stick)

2: eggs (For Egg-Free Version: Combine 2 Tbsp Flax Meal with 6 Tbsp HOT water or dairy-free milk, letting sit for 5 minutes until gelled; OR combine 3 tsp Ener G Egg Replacer with 4 Tbsp water or dairy-free milk and whisk until foamy. Add an extra 1/2 tsp baking soda to the dry mixture if not using eggs)

2 tsp: vanilla

10 oz: canned organic pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling (use a 14 1/2 oz can and remove about 3 Tbsp and reserve for another use)

Streusel Topping (optional, but my favorite part):

1 Tbsp: gluten-free flour blend, (for streusel topping)

2 Tbsp: butter, (cold, but slightly softened – for streusel topping)-For Dairy-Free Version use equal amts Organic Canola or Coconut Oil, or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Stick

1 Tbsp: Organic Palm sugar, (or brown sugar – for streusel topping)

2 tsp: pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon (for streusel topping)

2 tsp: ground chia seeds or flax meal

1 tsp: quinoa flakes (or certified Gluten Free Oats)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease the bottom of a large (9 x 5 inch) non-stick loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the exact measurement of the bottom of the pan without allowing it to go up the sides. Place in bottom.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together all purpose gluten-free flour, almond flour, quinoa (or gf oat) flour, xanthan gum, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt until well blended.

3.  In mixer bowl, cream together butter (or Earth Balance Buttery Sitcks, or Canola oil) and sugar until fluffy.

4,  Add eggs, one at a time (or slowly mix in egg replacer).  Then add vanilla and pumpkin and mix until fully blended.

5.  Gradually add dry ingredients into wet and blend well, but do not over mix.

6.  Pour mixture into prepared large 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pan.

7.  Prepare streusel topping:  Mix together flour, butter (or Dairy-Free alternative), sugar, pumpkin pie spice, ground chia or flax, and quinoa flakes (or gf oats).  Sprinkle over the top of the batter, then place in oven and bake for 55 – 65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and center of loaf reaches 208 degrees. The ten minute baking time range accounts for the differences in oven temperatures. The internal temperature of your oven (and your bread loaf) determine when the loaf is done.

8. Let bread cool for a few minutes, then run knife around edges of pan and remove bread.  Place on rack and let cool completely before slicing.

NOTE: You can also trade out the pumpkin for applesauce and the pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon to make this an Applesauce Cinnamon Streusel Bread.  We like it this way too.

Go ahead and make me jealous.  Does it feel like FALL where you live? It’s okay, I can take it!

This post is linked up to some wonderful sites. Go and check them out:

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Hearth ‘n Soul Blog Hop

Gluten Free Wednesdays

Real Food Wednesdays.