Prep Time: 45 minutes Number of Servings: 8
RECIPE SOURCE: From Gluten-Free Bread by Hope Cohen ($27.95, Strawberryblonde Press, 2013)
Ingredients:
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1 c peeled, seeded, and diced butternut or acorn squash (about 5 oz)
1/3 c tapioca flour
1/3 c cornstarch
1/3 c garbanzo bean flour
2 Tbsp sorghum flour
11/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp unflavored gelatin*
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp fine salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 c small-curd cottage cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350deg. Grease an 81/2 x 41/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.
Place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned. Set aside.
Cover squash with salted water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and boil squash, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain squash, shaking it in a colander to rid it of as much water as possible. Puree it in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender. Measure out 1/2 cup of puree and reserve remainder for another use.
Combine tapioca flour, cornstarch, garbanzo bean flour, sorghum flour, baking powder, gelatin, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt in a large, deep bowl and whisk well.
Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at low speed to combine. Raise speed to high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add egg, cottage cheese, and squash. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients at low speed and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts.
Scrape dough into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula dipped in water. Bake bread for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check bread after 30 minutes and cover it loosely with aluminum foil if it's getting too brown. Place pan on a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Turn bread out of pan and serve.
Notes:
Note: The bread can be served hot or at room temperature. Once cool, keep it refrigerated, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
Variation: Substitute 1/2 cup of canned solid-pack pumpkin for the squash.
*Just as gelatin adds body to mousses and cold dishes, it serves well in baked breads too. When it's mixed into gluten-free bread dough, it binds the cold dough and then holds it together and keeps it from crumbling when it's baked. There's no need to pre-soak it because it absorbs and softens while the dough rises and bakes.
Nutrition Info:
Per serving: 201 Calories, 5 g Protein, 19 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Fiber, 13 g Total fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono, 4 g poly), 120 mg Sodium, Good source of: Manganese, Fair source of: Vitamin C, Copper, Phosphorus