Roasted Butternut Squash Quick Bread

1-8x4 loaf

Ingredients

1.5 cups butternut squash puree, about 2 cups cubes (1 medium squash)

¼ cup maple syrup

½ vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ pecans pieces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Carefully peel, de-seed, and chop a butternut squash into cubes. I know there are other ways to cook a squash – roasting whole or boiling – but cubing and roasting allows the squash to develop some browning and caramelizing the natural sugars, which results in so much flavor. Don’t skip this step – it’s worth the extra time.

Cube squash and toss in a bit of olive oil. Spread evenly on a sheet pan and roast for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once squash has roasted and browned, remove from oven and allow to cool for a bit. You can also pre-cook the squash the day before you are baking, if needed. Transfer two cups of roasted squash cubes to a food processor or blender.

Blend until pureed and smooth, then add the rest of the wet ingredients – maple syrup, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla. Pulse the machine to blend and combine, and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and spices. Then add the wet to the dry, and mix until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 8x4 loaf pan.

Sprinkle a handful of extra pepitas and pecans on top of the batter.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes – the top should be golden and starting to crack, check for total doneness with a wooden toothpick