What's Baking: Butternut Squash Bread

I had a bit of roasted butternut squash puree left over from making last week's Roasted Butternut Squash Phyllo Cups recipe, so I opted to use up the majority in a butternut squash quick bread recipe. While putting squash into a quick bread may seem weird at first, don't forget that pumpkin is a squash too! (Remember last year's butternut squash pie recipe?) So to make this bread, I just slightly modified one of the pumpkin bread recipes I've made in the past. If you'd prefer, you can easily sub in "pumpkin pie spice" for the list of spices I've called for below; personally, I prefer having a little say in which spices I add in, and at what amount. Feel free to experiment with the spices too; if you like a little more nutmeg or ginger, or no cloves -- go ahead and make those changes!

Butternut Squash Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" loaf

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butternut squash puree
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large bread pan.
2. Sift together the flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the two eggs. Mix in the vanilla. Alternately add in the butternut squash puree and the sifted dry ingredients.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared bread pan.
5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven, then let cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.