To paraphrase the old adage, “when life (or parents) hands you zucchini, make zucchini bread!”
The recent seasonal abundance from the garden has inspired many a meal. I have battered, breaded, shredded, layered, fried, sautéed, and pureed zucchini turning them into parmigiana, hummus, risotto, frittata, pizza and noodles to name a mere few. My favorite use for this vegetable however is a sweet one, zucchini bread.
The perfect combination of courgette and cake made with a few simple ingredients. Baking up a batch of sweetened summer squash in this way fills the house with a wonderful aroma and leaves you with perfect golden loaves to enjoy alongside a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
This is a wonderfully versatile treat that can be baked up into a Bundt, a loaf or even muffins making it a great way for children to eat their veggies (my daughters devour it in all its formations). What I also love about zucchini bread is how well it freezes which means I can preserve that delightful taste of summer to enjoy when I’ve got a case of the winter blues. The best part is that this recipe can be made using good old fashion muscle, no need to pull out the mixer. If vegetables are a must in your diet, give this deliciously sweet zucchini bread a try. Buon Appetito!
Zucchini Bread
- 3 cups of flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ white sugar
- 1 cup chopped nuts (traditionally walnuts, but pecans work wonderfully as well)
- ½ cup currants or raisins (optional)
- 4 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2/3cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans, a Bundt pan or two muffin tins.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, nuts, currants, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt with a fork. In a second bowl, beat the eggs slightly with a fork then stir in the oil, zucchini and lemon peel.
Combine the liquid and flour mixtures, just until the flour is moistened. Spread evenly into the pans and bake on the middle rack, for one hour. If you are baking muffins the timing is 12-15 minutes.
Cool in pans on a baking rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans. Serve warm or cold.
If you’re a chocolate lover like I am, you can turn this into chocolate zucchini bread by adding ¼ cup of cocoa and chocolate bits or chips to your mix.
Bonus recipe:
Add ½ cup of milk to the mixture and you’ve got an incredible waffle batter
