I’m almost certain that zucchini was invented just for the purpose of turning it into delicious baked goods. Come fall, I know all too well the conflict of the zucchini bounty. You love that you have them, but you hate having just so many of them. Unsuspecting neighbours find the squash on their doorsteps or stuffed into mailboxes. And the zucchinis seem to multiply in the garden overnight. If you find yourself in such a situation, don’t freak out. Just go ahead and bake them into bread. And if you love chocolate, know that this has the one-two punch of both cocoa and dark chocolate chunks. A glass of cold milk is the perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
2 cups shredded zucchini, skin on
½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the rack in the centre of the oven. Line a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper overhanging the sides. Lightly butter the paper.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl with the salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chunks. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Pour this into the zucchini mixture and stir just until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50–60 minutes, until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean but with a few crumbs clinging to it. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.
Store the zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
If the shredded zucchini is full of moisture, squeeze it dry in a clean dishcloth before adding to the batter.
Recipe by Food Bloggers of Canada at https://easy-fatloss.today/all-the-sweet-things-cookbook-review/%3C/div%3E