Around here I don’t wait to see the leaves change color. I wait for the advertising to turn to pumpkin. That’s how I know fall has landed. I’m the marketing world’s target audience when it comes to the seasonal squash. I don’t even drink coffee, but when I see Pumpkin Spice Latte on a poster in a coffee shop window, I drool. Half of the supposed “pumpkin” items don’t have pumpkin at all; they’re just spiced with cinnamon and cloves. It doesn’t really matter — if you write “Pumpkin” plus “Limited Edition” on a package, I will buy it. No joke.

Pumpkin is a really versatile ingredient. It can go sweet or savory, and its texture blends well. And a great bonus: Adding pumpkin to a baked good makes it less dry.

When I pulled out a whole kabocha squash from the oven this week, my son immediately sneered, “Oh WHAT is that SMELL!?” He then proceeded to march around the kitchen investigating the foul odor while pinching his nose. I rolled my eyes. He’s not a connoisseur of fine foods. Since his main staple is peanut butter and graham crackers, I’m going to go with my gut on this one.

I love many iterations of this vegetable. Kabocha is a great alternative to pumpkin in most dishes, and it’s easier for me to access than an eating pumpkin. I’ve had too many of those with little to no flavor, while a kabocha is almost always sweet and mild. So while I usually stick to the canned stuff when it comes to pumpkin, a kabocha is a reliable roasted veggie to use in cooking and baking.

The brown butter in the following recipe pairs well with the warm flavor of this squash. Do not skip this browning step. I promise it will be worth it. Another great aspect of this bread is the bits of kabocha scattered throughout it.

I shared my loaf with everyone else in the house who was not my sneering son. That’s fine. When he grows up, he can ignore everything pumpkin and save his money for the big seasonal sales. Meanwhile, the rest of us will enjoy hearty helpings.

Brown Butter Kabocha Bread

• 1-1/3 cups roasted kabocha, mashed and divided (see instructions below)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To cook kabocha, scrub outside with a stiff brush under stream of water, then place it whole on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350-degree oven. Cook 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until it is easily pierced with a fork. Cool, cut in half, scoop out seeds, then scoop out flesh. Save the rest for another use. Mash flesh (it should mash easily). Can be prepared in advance of baking and refrigerated.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray or parchment paper. In small pot, melt butter over medium. Allow it to come to a gentle boil and cook a few minutes, until butter turns an amber brown color. Remove from heat.

In large bowl, combine 1 cup of mashed kabocha, butter, yogurt and sugars. Use a spoon rather than an electric mixer. Add eggs and milk and mix well again.

Add flour, baking soda and salt all at once. Stir until just barely combined and there are no pockets of flour left. Add the rest of the mashed kabocha, swirling it through the dough.

Place batter in prepared pan and bake approximately 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes. Slice and serve with salted butter. Makes 1 loaf.

Approximate nutritional information (based on 10 slices): 290 calories, 12 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 22 g sugar, 5 g protein

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.