Brown Butter Maple Pumpkin Bread
Loosely adapted from Martha Stewart

Oh ye without a stand or hand mixer – rejoice! This recipe requires a spatula to mix! Happy?

Ingredients:
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted until it becomes brown and cooled, plus room-temperature butter for pan (see my guidelines below)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp bourbon
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (6-cup) loaf pans; set aside.

Over a low heat in a medium saucepan, cook the butter until it is warm, brown and develops a nutty aroma. This should take about 7 minutes, but don’t despair if yours takes longer, just look for the brown solids to form. At first, your butter will bubble and foam and you might think to yourself, “How do I know it’s really brown?” Relax – before you know it, the foam will subside and you’ll see the liquid butter which will then tell you if it’s ready or not! Once butter is done, turn the heat off and set it aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together both sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, and bourbon. Add the flour mixture, the cranberries and stir to just combine. Do not overmix.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 50 minutes, rotating mid-way, until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean.

Remove from oven, and let cool 10 minutes; invert pans and transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: If making 1 loaf and the rest in muffins, muffins bake in about 20-25 minutes – check after 20 for doneness by inserting a toothpick. And if it comes out clean, your muffins are done. The loaf, however, will take longer!

Makes 2 loaves, or 1 loaf and 8 or so muffins.