Butternut Squash Bread & Muffins

We had an LOT of butternut squash this season with at least 5 remaining, some turned into butternut squash soup. This weekend, a local group that Grenville is involved with – The Society for the Preservation of the Onley Train Station – held Autumn in Onley, which included train displays (of course), pumpkin decorating, scarecrow making, and a bake sale.
What a perfect chance to try a NEW butternut squash bread recipe. Unlike one posted last fall, this one has no butter (vegetable oil); brown and white sugar, and cardamom not ginger or cloves.

Butternut Squash Bread

• 1 C butternut squash puree
• 2 eggs
• ½ C vegetable oil
• 1/3 C water
• ½ C brown sugar
• 1 C white sugar
• 1 ¾ C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cardamom

Note: Add whatever other ingredients you would like such as chopped nuts or dried fruit.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 91/2x5-inch loaf pan or use cooking spray (my preference).
2. In large bowl,mix together butternut squash pure, eggs, oil, water and sugars.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom.
4. Stir dry ingredients into squash mixture; mix until blended.
5. Pour into pan and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes until tester inserted into center comes out clean.

I made two variations of this recipe, adding chopped pecans to the first and dried cranberries to the second. Half of each was wrapped for the bake sale (see below). We got to keep the other halves.
Grenville was happy that there enough butternut squash puree left over for some muffins this morning – with leftovers – which will go great with coffee on our road trip to NH (foliage time).

Butternut Squash Muffins

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1 C butternut squash puree (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1/4 C applesauce (cinnamon flavor or plain)
• 1/3 C fat free plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine sugar, squash puree, apple sauce, yogurt, honey and egg. With an electric mixer on medium speed, mix for 1-2 minutes (or mix by hand).
4. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; pour in liquid mixture and gently form to just combine; batter will be lumpy.
5. Pour batter into muffin pan about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

IF you are using LARGE muffin tins, be sure to double the recipe. These new ones we bought were too large for the amount of muffin batter in the above recipe. The muffins, while small were wonderfully moist.