Pumpkin spice bread/Squash spice Loaf

by Emma Holder

I wanted to make this recipe, but didn't have pumpkin, or eggs, and didn't want to use lots of white flour or sugar, so I winged it. The result was delicious, dark and spicy. Since the sugar was eliminated, a drizzle of honey or a layer of jam or marmalade on top would be perfect if you needed a bit more sweet than what the molasses gives you.

Ingredients as Original (Emma’s modification in brackets)

1.5 C flour  (mixture of 0.5 C flour, 0.5 C almond meal/ 0.5 C chestnut flour (or rice flour or something else)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking soda

2 teaspoons of ginger powder

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, since I don't like nutmeg)

1 C pumpkin puree (1 C chopped and squished  delicata squash/ sweet dumpling /butternut squash, organic, skin left on)

1/2 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar (I omitted this completely)

1/2 C molasses

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or more!)

2 eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flax with 6 Tablespoons water)

1/2 C raisins (optional, could also use currents or golden raisins since they are more nutritious the regular black raisins.)

How to:

 Preheat oven to 350F, mix wet, mix dry, combine wet+dry and pout into loaf pan. Bake at least 40 min or until a knife blade comes out clean.

Sweet Delicata Squash

I eat these like toast when delicata are in season. I have to bake 4 at a time, or I run out too quickly.

Cut delicatas in half, scoop out seeds and put cut side down on cookie sheet.

Cook in 350F oven until they squish when you poke them, about 30-45 min.

That’s about it. They are so sweet and vanilla-custardy, I just munch them down. I have also put my baked apples in them, put them in my morning yogurt, or sprinkle cinnamon on them. The seeds are nice toasted too. I toss them with olive oil and rosemary, salt and pepper and put them on another cookie sheet next to the squash. keep an eye on them – they burn. Listen for the popping sounds – then stir them and do it again.