Acorn Squash Bread

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Banana bread.

Zucchini bread.

Pumpkin bread.

All delicious, easy-to-make, moist and flavorful breads, thanks to the fruits and veggies they incorporate.

So let’s keep the Veggie Bread Train in business!

It's time to talk about Acorn Squash Bread!

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Prepared similarly to pumpkin bread, acorn squash bread uses the delicacy and sweetness of squash—along with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg—to make for a savory, but slightly sugary bread.

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This bread is perfect for your Christmas Day table or as a cozy treat for Christmas morning when you're sitting around the tree drinking coffee and opening presents.

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Just bake halves of acorns squash, scoop out the sweet flesh, mix with some pantry staples, and you’ve got an extremely addictive quick bread!

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And to take it one step further, I drizzle mine with a little cider vanilla glaze—yummm.

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Then sprinkle it with some granola for a sticky sweet and delightfully crunchy topping, and you've got a recipe your family won't stop asking you for!

Acorn Squash Bread

servings: 1 9 X 5-inch pan of bread (about 8 slices)

Ingredients:

  • 1 small acorn squash (about 1 pound)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon cider
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ⅓ cup granola

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a soupspoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them. Arrange the squash cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet and rub its flesh with the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Bake the squash until the flesh is fork tender—about 45 minutes.
  2. Scoop out the flesh of the squash, add it to the bowl of a food processor, and puree until smooth (this should give you about 1 cup of puree). Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and grease a 9 X 5-inch bread loaf pan.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves. In a second large bowl, whisk together the squash puree, light brown sugar, canola oil, granulated sugar, ⅓ cup of the cider, eggs, vanilla, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
  4. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Then pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until the edges of the bread are brown and a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean—about 60-65 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and cool completely.
  5. Next, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cider until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle over the cooled bread, sprinkle with granola, and serve.

Notes:

  • To make muffins: Lower the oven temperature to 350 F after the squash is roasted. Make the batter and glaze as directed above. Divide the batter into 9 cups of a lined or greased muffin tin and bake until the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove muffins from the pan to cool completely. Drizzle cooled muffins with glaze, sprinkle with granola, and serve.
: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking
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Find more recipes like this in Meat on the Side!

 

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Irish Soda Bread

QUESTIONNAIRE:

Have you ever chosen a particular restaurant just because they serve great bread?

Have you ever ordered mussels just to be able to dip large amounts of bread into the broth?

Do you have a loaf of bread on your counter right now that costs more than you would like to admit?

Have you ever chosen a sandwich at a deli based solely on what bread it came on?

If you answered yes to these questions you may be...a BREAD-A-HOLIC.

And you maaaaaaaay love bread as much as I do. Though loving bread as much as I do is a hard and possibly unobtainable goal.

I know, I know, you're disappointed, but only one of us can be the bread queen. And considering I’m pretty sure 80% of my body is made of bread, I have to say I win that title.

As much as I love bread, and as simple as some recipes will tell you it is to make, making your own bread can easily go terribly, terribly wrong (BELIEVE ME!).

This is exactly why when I have a hankering for some fresh bread, I love QUICK BREADS!

You see, they are...well...QUICK! No rising, no kneading, just great bread...QUICK! And the quicker I am eating this bread, the better it is for not only me, but everyone around me. ;)

Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk Wash

servings: Makes 1 loaf of bread

Buttermilk Wash:

  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • ¼ cup buttermilk

Irish Soda Bread:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup margarine, softened
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg

Buttermilk Wash:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the butter and the buttermilk, then set aside.

Irish Soda Bread:

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Then lightly grease a large baking sheet.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, margarine, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the buttermilk and egg and mix until just combined.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Then form the dough into a round and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Then brush the dough with the Buttermilk Wash.
  4. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf, then bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean--40 to 50 minutes. During the baking process, brush the loaf with the Buttermilk Wash at least once.

Notes:

  • The buttermilk wash will burn if it gets on your pan, so try to not let it drip too much over the sides of the bread.
  • You can brush with the buttermilk as often as you wish, but just be sure you give it at least 10 minutes with no extra brushing of the wash at the end of the baking time to allow the top to brown completely.
  • It is supposed to be a little chunky and not overly smooth, so don’t over knead it.
: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking
 

Find more recipes like this in Meat on the Side!

 

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