Return of the Gingerbread Man

Pretty autumn days spent on the Minneapolis campus bring me back many years ago when my then 3 year old ran ahead of me across the Mall, long braids swinging behind her, singing as loudly as a kid can (which is pretty darn loud), "RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! YOU CAN'T CATCH ME! I'M THE GINGERBREAD MAN!"

Well, this year I've caught him. And he is delicious. I still haven't caught the no-longer-3-year-old, but warm gingerbread always lures her back home.

Butternut Gingerbread
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt
1 cup cooked Butternut, pureed
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole fresh cranberries or chocolate chips

1. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vinegar. Sift together flours, salt, and baking soda; add flour mixture to butter-sugar-eggs.

2. Combine yoghurt, squash, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla; add to batter and mix well. Stir in cranberries or chips.

3. Spread batter in a buttered loaf pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven until inserted knife comes out clean, about 1 hour.