We have included two versions of this recipe: one with walnuts and one with cranberries. Now all you have to do is pick your poison! Or make both?! Zucchini season is almost over and we thought we would incorporate the last of summer with some fall flavors. We combined our best zucchini bread recipe with pumpkin puree, fresh cranberries (right from the cranberry bogs in Nantucket) and chopped walnuts

Zucchini is full of vitamin A and Vitamin C improving skin elasticity and helping to fade signs of aging and pigmentation issues. Pumpkin is also fantastic for your skin. It’s full of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Copper, and is also a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese, all of which is good for your skin so don’t waste any! Pumpkin is actually one of the highest sources of beta-carotene you can get with 17mg per cup. It’s converted to Vitamin A in the body (an anti-oxidant) that fights free-radicals and signs of aging. Pumpkins are also very high in fiber and phytoestrogens which have also been shown to lower your risk for cancer. Not to mention cranberries and walnuts are also packed with health benefits like Omega 3’s and fatty acids as well as cleansing anti-oxidants. Cranberries even have anti-bacterial properties.

Prep time: 15 mins

Bake time: 50-55 mins

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour and ten minutes

Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin puree not pie filling)

• 1 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 cups shredded zucchini

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch loaf pans generously with baking spray, and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs until blended. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and canned pumpkin. Mix just until blended. Fold in shredded zucchini.

3. Divide batter in half and mix the walnuts in one half and the cranberries in the other reserving some for the top of each bread. Put in prepared pans, sprinkle the top of each with reserved walnuts and cranberries and bake for 50-55 minutes, until toothpick poked in center of bread comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan let cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped maple cream cheese.