Pumpkin bread and brown rice flour.

This weekend ushered in the fall season. A hike through the hills with tree branches half-full of colorful leaves. Two overfull bags at the farmer's market. Forlorn, toothy faces carved on pumpkins bought from a local grower.

And pumpkin bread. Moist, slightly-sweet, spicy mouthfuls of pumpkin.

Unfortunately, I didn't think ahead and save some of the fresh pumpkin pulp from carving.

I used the recipe from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal with some modifications: I used the darkest agave syrup and used two parts agave and one part unsweetened apple sauce (I ran out of the agave). I also did not have ginger and added extra cinnamon and nutmeg. I sprayed 100% pure sunflower oil in the pan and dusted it with brown rice flower.

The recipe was simple and easy to follow, which is always a relief for me. I typically feel like I am in chemistry class every time I bake vegan, gluten-free. This was the first time I have used brown rice flour for baking and it seemed to turn out fine. The bread was a bit fragile and I think it would have turned out better with a superfine brown rice flour, like the author suggests. But the perfect moistness helped keep the slice held together. The top browned nicely and the exterior had the perfect crunch.

It has been so long since I have had good pumpkin bread that I ate four generous slices before deciding that it was too much for my blood sugar. 

It was somewhat salty since I used less agave. I should have left out the 1/2 teaspoon of added salt. And it definitely would have been better if I had ground ginger. But it was still delicious warm from the pan, covered in butter or spread with vegan cream cheese. Yes, I had a slice all three ways.

Tonight I plan on sitting on the front port with the carved pumpkins nearby, watching the last hour of sunlight warm itself right into darkness, as I drink a large mug of chai and slowly eat the rest of my pumpkin bread.

Thankfully my husband liked it too and there isn't much left, or I would be eating another four slices tonight.