I feel a little foolish blogging about zucchini bread. Everyone has a recipe for zucchini bread, even people who don’t grow zucchini, even people that don’t usually bake at all. I think you could possibly Google “zucchini bread” and any of the recipes you find on the internet would be delicious. Zucchini bread is one of those magical foods that is a loving combination of satisfies-the-sweet-tooth, is a good-for-you-vegetable, grandmothers-make-this-because-they-love-you and you-can-keep-it-in-the-freezer-for-months, that everyone — who does not already have it in their repertoire — should have in their recipe box.
My own mother did not make zucchini bread. I think the recipe gained popularity in the 1970s, when I was a young bride. But, my mother did buy a very nice nut loaf at the local bakery, that she would make into little sandwiches with a cream cheese filling, when it was her turn to host the monthly Pinochle game. This zucchini bread serves as a good substitute since I have not as yet found the perfect nut bread recipe (nor a monthly Pinochle game).
We try to eat healthier than we did in the 1970s, so neither cream cheese nor butter seldom finds a way onto my slices. Luckily, this bread is moist and so flavorful that it needs nothing more than a nice cup of tea to accompany it.
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini*
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
They say that cooking is an art and baking is a science. If that expression is new to you, it infers that, while cooking with reckless abandon often yields quite impressive results, baking seldom does. There is a bit more chemistry involved in baking — the ratio of leavening to flour, or the amount of salt for browning, etc., may be important. I think that is true. But, a recipe is still a suggestion, and small tweaks are always okay. I have found that my 2013 palate feels that 1-1/2 cups sugar is a bit too sweet, so I now use a little less. Likewise, 3 tsp cinnamon feels a bit too “dessert-y” at times, so I may use a little less cinnamon, as well. I love the flavor of the raisins, and the additional moistness that they add to the recipe, but you do not need them in the recipe — and it may be fun to substitute a different type of dried fruit or (horrors!) chocolate chips, if you prefer. Any type of chopped nut would work, also, or simply leave them out if that is your preference.
*This is a recipe to use those big zucchini “blimps” that you find in your garden when you haven’t harvested for a few days, or that your neighbor leaves on your porch when he hasn’t been watching his own garden. The amount of zucchini you need for this recipe will vary. I usually get between 4 and 6 loaves out of each of my own zucchini “blimps”. [Do not panic! Remember, this recipe freezes very well.]
Instructions
To prepare the zucchini for this recipe, scrub it well and cut off the top and bottom ends. Cut it in half or into thirds, crosswise (for ease of handling), and shred (using the large holes on a box grater or a shredding blade on a food processor) into a large bowl. Squeeze out any excess moisture and pack it into 2 cup measurements for this recipe. The shredded zucchini will last several days in a sealed container in the refrigerator — I usually bake my loaves over a period of several days.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set it aside.
Beat the 3 eggs. Stir in the oil, sugar and vanilla, and then stir in the shredded zucchini. Add the flour mixture, stirring until it is just combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the raisins and the nuts.
Spoon into two greased 8x5x3 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (about an hour in my oven).
Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then remove from pans and onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and store in the refrigerator (or freeze).
———–
