Tag: pumpkin

Squash & Walnut Bread

Oh the squash season never ends, so now I’ve turned my glut into bread. I made this today – so I have my brekkie sorted for tomorrow morning – but I will admit that quite a chunk of the bread has been eaten for tasting purposes.  It’s delicious just with butter, or add a sliced banana and some maple syrup drizzled over the top.

This loaf was inspired by a recipe by Naturally Ella for Pumpkin Oat bread.

Squash & Walnut Bread

pumpkin-bread

  • 80g oats
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 80g walnuts – roughly chopped or bashed
  • 200g cooked squash (crown prince or butternut or pumpkin)
  • 80ml maple syrup
  • 80ml coconut oil – melted
  • 70ml walnut oil
  • 2 eggs

Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, spices, salt and walnuts in a bowl.

Put the cooked squash (no skin), the syrup, oils and eggs into a blender and whizz for a few seconds to combine. Add this mixture to the dry mixture and mix together.

Put the mixture into a loaf tin.  Bake for around 50 minutes – 200c/400f/Gas 6.  After 30 minutes put some foil over the top for the last 20minutes to stop the top getting too brown.  It’s cooked when a skewer comes out clean and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.  Let it cool slightly then pop it on a wired rack to cool completely. (I will admit I ate a slice whilst it was still warm, it does crumble a bit, worth waiting that bit longer for it to be properly cool!).

 

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Crown Prince Granola

I’ve been trying out granola recipes and trying to incorporate some pumpkin or squash – I’ve had a few failures, mainly because the squash made the granola soggy and I prefer my granola clumpy and crispy.  But eventually I’ve found one that works. It is based on a Nigella recipe that used apple puree, and this gave me the idea of using squash puree.

I’ve been eating this all week – even hubby has been caught snacking straight from the jar.

I used crown prince squash to make the puree – but pumpkin or butternut squash would work just as well.

Note – see my Spiced Squash Pancake recipe for how to make the puree.

Crown Prince Granola

pumpkin-granola

Dry ingredients

  • 225g oats
  • 60g pumpkin seeds
  • 60g sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 50g coconut sugar (or any other brown sugar)
  • 100g whole almonds
  • 50g Pecans – broken in half
  • Pinch salt

Wet ingredients

  • 100g squash puree
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • 60g brown rice syrup
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients until well combined.  Then pour the wet into the bowl of dry and coat everything really well.  Lay out the mixture onto a baking sheet.

Cook at 160c/320f/Gas 3 for around 40 – 45 minutes.  Ensure you move the mixture around on the baking sheet every 15 minutes to stop it browning unevenly. You want it to look golden and have a crunch to it.

Leave it to cool completely in the baking tray and then store in a container.  Keeps for a week or so.

 

Pronto Pumpkin Pie Oats

I’ve harvested all my squashes from the allotment and now have the lovely task of finding different ways to eat them.  You can’t beat the taste of pumpkin pie, that gorgeous aroma of spices with the sweetness of maple syrup and I love the addition of pecans.

This is a quick way of getting that pumpkin pie taste for brekkie – takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.  The texture is softer than granola (I’m working on a granola version!) but with all the taste.  You can use pumpkins or squashes for this – I used Crown Prince Squash, butternut works well too.

Delicious on its own or with yoghurt.  If you can wait a few extra minutes before eating it, it starts to stick together and smell even better.  Still good the following day too.

Pronto Pumpkin Pie Oats (enough for two portions)

pronto-pumpkin-pie-oats

  • 100g fresh pumpkin or squash peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 3 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 60g oats
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 30g pecan  nuts roughly chopped

Heat 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a frying pan, add the cubed pumpkin and stir fry for 8-10 minutes, you want the cubes to get really soft but not falling apart.  Keep tossing it to ensure none of the pieces brown too much.  Tip out of the pan and keep to one side.

Add another teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan and add the oats stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Then add in the spices and the cooked pumpkin and toss well together over the heat for another minute.  Turn off the heat and add the maple syrup and mix everything together. Finally add the pecans.  Ready!

Wait a few minutes or eat warm – or keep for later if you can.