So, it turns out I make a mean zucchini bread. Everyone who has tried to make it is probably aware that there are about a million recipes for zucchini bread out there. I’ve been through several. There was one I liked the taste of but all my chocolate chips sank to the bottom so it was like having a bottom crust of chocolate on the loaf of bread. Interesting, but not what we were looking for for breakfast.
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| More Muffins Please |
Why do I say mine rocks? Well first of all, my family not only eats it, but begs me to make it and I have a seriously picky eater in my 5 year-old son. As much as I try to get healthy food into him, and as willing as he is to eat healthy food, he dislikes just about everything. I have also found that my 13 month-old son loves these as well. Granted, it means that he now eats chocolate (and smears it all over his hands and face) but that comes to my next point.
It’s healthy. It contains whole wheat flour, cinnamon, zucchini and applesauce. Next time I’ll do my best to remember to add wheat germ too.
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| Super-huge zucchini from our garden |
It also uses locally grown products. In particular, we had a bumper crop of zucchini earlier this summer. In past years I would give away the extra zucchini at work, but this year I’m in a new position and I’m not quite comfortable yet bringing in veggies to give away. Also, I’ve been watching my friends can, freeze and otherwise store summer home-growns for winter eating, and I wanted to take a stab at that as well this year.
Sidebar: To store zucchini for winter cooking and baking shred it all up (think Cuisinart or other shredding tool) and measure it into the amounts you’ll use. Put it into freezer bag, spread out flat for easier thawing & storage, and freeze. I store it 4 cups to a bag and my bumper crop produced 7 or 8 bags for my freezer.
I also make a point of buying unsweetened local applesauce. We’re in New England, so applesauce is one thing you can count on being able to find a local version of year-round. Read the label though, because I’ve seen high fructose corn syrup as an added ingredient on some jars!
People with dietary issues may also like this recipe because there is no dairy and I’ve eliminated the eggs as well. Therefore it’s dairy & egg free, so it’s a great recipe for vegans.
You need a large mixing bowl to make this, it will overflow an average bowl. When I make this recipe I often double the batch by putting two large mixing bowls side by side and making two batches at once. Today two batches made 1 loaf of bread, 30 regular muffins and about 60 mini-muffins. I would expect it to make 4 loaves of bread if you only do loaves.
3 cups all-purpose flour (I usually do about 1 cup all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour.)
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
2 egg (substitute 1/2 c. applesauce for eggs)
1/2 cup cooking oil (I use canola oil.)
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (I use lemon juice)
1 cup chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together sugar, shredded zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon peel; mix well. Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Bake in a 350°oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a tothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack. Wrap and store loaf overnight before slicing. Makes 2 loaves. Muffins need about 18 minutes and mini-muffins about 10.
(Cooling overnight helps the bread to not collapse when you cut it.)
Happy Eating!
Alicia
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