Perfect Gluten-free Pumpkin Loaf

(makes TWO mouth-watering 9x5" loafs)

I make this quick and easy loaf for my boyfriend's son, who has Fructose Malabsorption which means he can't have anything with HFCS and wheat. This is one of his all-time favorite breads. It's a great fall and winter anytime snack, and has a wonderfully consistent, moist texture. You'd never know it's gluten-free.

While most "fructmals" know, brown sugar has a bit of fructose naturally, so I add dextrose sugar which can be found at almost any health-food store. You can also substitute the brown sugar by adding pure maple syrup (about 1/2 ratio) if desired. Dextrose is not a good full-on substitute as it has different baking characteristics than regular white and brown sugars.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup authentic -does not contain wheat- corn flour (corn starch)
2 tsp backing soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum (I use Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter (yes, 2 full sticks), softened
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/4 fructose-free eggnog
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup dextrose
4 large eggs
1 can pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!!!)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Add eggs, pumpkin pie puree, rum, eggnog, and vanilla - mix until well blended.

3) In separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

4) Gently fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just blended - DO NOT OVER MIX!

5) Pour 1/2 of mixture into a lightly greased 9"x5" loaf pan.

6) Bake for about 1 hr or until the top is nicely golden. Check doneness with toothpick. A little moist is ok as it will continue to cook until transfered to cooling rack, but if it's still super doughy, and the top is browned, place some foil on top and bake a few minutes longer.

7) Leave to cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

As tempting as it is to do otherwise, I highly recommend waiting until the bread has completely cooled before cutting into it. That way all the moist goodness does not escape. If you simply cannot wait (warning: this bread smells sooo good; it ranks right up there with banana bread), make sure you wrap the loaf completely with baking (or wax) paper.