Molasses Cranberry Squash Bread

This time of year, as the weather turns chilly, the warm, spicy scent of a seasonal nut bread baking in the oven is a welcome aroma. Anyone coming in from the outdoors is sure to ask, "M-m-m, what's baking?" And you can tell them, "Molasses Cranberry Squash Bread." Ah-h-h, the pleasures of harvest baking...!

Use fork-mashed squash, or non-stringy pumpkin. The cranberries and the nuts are optional; use either, both, or neither as you like. Raisins can be substituted for the cranberries. Suggestion: double the recipe to make a second loaf for the freezer.

Recipe makes one 9 x 5" loaf.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream until blended:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup molasses

Stir in:

2 eggs, beaten

Sour cream and water combined to equal 1/3 cup

1 cup mashed cooked squash

Combine, then stir into the squash mixture and mix thoroughly:

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

(Optional) Stir in:

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 5" loaf pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the bread has shrunken slightly from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool, then remove from the pan. -jmm