Squash Bread with Cranberries

I’m thinking about Thanksgiving even though this year we won’t have our usual family get-together. We all know why. We’re just waiting this whole Covid era out. Then we will have a proper holiday celebration.

But I am roasting a turkey because roasted turkey is one of my favorite things to eat. Unfortunately my daughter, our family carver, won’t be around to slice her perfect slices.

I’m also making my usual baked cranberries, sweet potato casserole and a green vegetable, probably Brussels sprouts.

Not sure I’ll bother with stuffing.

But definitely making this squash bread with fresh cranberries, because it’s rich and gently seasoned and not-too-sweet so it’s perfect with dinner, but also is a good snack or breakfast treat the day after.

Dessert? Probably baked apples.

Squash Bread with Cranberries

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup mashed cooked winter squash (such as butternut, acorn, kuri)

• 3/4 cup fresh cranberries

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the brown sugar and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the squash and cranberries and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Mix the water and lemon juice and add it to the batter with the vanilla extract. Stir to blend the ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes one loaf. 

Squash Bread with Kefir

When my kids were little we had lots of books in the house. There were favorites of course, like “Come Over to My House” by Theo LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss). We’ve kept some of them (that particular one has been read so many times that it is falling apart).

But there was one book, whose title I can’t recall (and I can’t find the book) that ended with a recipe for pumpkin bread.

If anyone knows the title/author — I would surely appreciate if you could tell me.

Anyway, at the time I’d never heard of pumpkin bread, which became increasingly popular as the years rolled by. But the idea of such a thing intrigued me, if only because I was familiar with other quick breads like cranberry-orange and banana.

So I tried the recipe and liked the result.

But it was only a beginning. Over the years I’ve made dozens of versions of pumpkin bread.

Including this one, using kefir because I happen to have some in the house. 

You can substitute buttermilk of course, or yogurt. And use more vegetable oil if you don’t like or have coconut oil. Also, use any kind of winter squash, pumpkin or otherwise.

Squash Bread with Kefir

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed cooked squash

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup kefir (or buttermilk)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the brown sugar, coconut oil and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the squash and raisins and beat the mixture to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to blend in the dry ingredients. Add the kefir and vanilla extract and stir them in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Makes one loaf.