1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 cup wheat germ

1 ½ cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)

½ teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves (optional) 

Mix together in a large bowl and make a well.

2 ½ cups pumpkin or winter squash, cooked and puréed (3 of our mini pumpkins make   about 2 cups of purée).

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

½ cup sunflower oil

½ cup pecans or other nuts (chopped)

1 cup raisins or dates (chopped; optional)

Add these into the well and mix just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven at 350˚ F/180˚ C until toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges and turn the loaf out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.

Muffin variation: Pour batter into greased mini-muffin tins; bake about 10 minutes.