A friend of mine was trying a zucchini bread recipe that she got off the internet and was disappointed in the result. That was all it took to get me to start obsessing on creating a better zucchini bread.
I like to use other shredded vegetables in my zucchini bread, my favorite is zucchini and carrots, but I have also added shredded beets and radishes (yes radishes!). I also like to use different color zucchini because golden zucchini add a nice golden hue. In spite of some very close friends of mine who LOVE chocolate chips in all their breads (zucchini/banana/ginger/), I don’t always use them, but I do love bittersweet chocolate chips with crystalized ginger, so I added both to my bread. I then sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top of the loaf so that it baked with a nice crackly sugary top. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Standard vegetable oils are highly refined and not particularly healthy for us, so when I bake I use butter, coconut, olive, or nut oils. If I had walnut oil in the house and didn’t care about spending about $10.00 for a cup of it in this recipe, I would have use it and it would have been absolutely delicious. BUT, as always in my home, olive oil reigns supreme. I did use about a ¼ cup of lemon pressed olive oil and ¾ cup extra virgin for a little flavor punch.
It was just what I wanted, moist, warm and crunchy on top.
Recipe
Heat oven to 350
This recipe made enough for one regular sized loaf and one smaller loaf. Butter or oil the pans
3 C flour
2 C sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 t dried ginger
¼ t freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs
1 c olive oil
1 T vanilla
2 C grated vegetables
1 C chocolate chips
1 C chopped walnuts
1/3 C chopped crystalized ginger
¼ C cinnamon sugar
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, whisk to combine dry ingredients.
Add the eggs, olive oil, vanilla, grated vegetables and stir to mix well. Add the chocolate chips, walnuts, and crystalized ginger.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Evenly distribute the cinnamon sugar over the loafs and bake about 45-60 minutes.
Let the loaves cool at last 30 minutes in the pan before you unmold them. After I’ve had a hot fresh piece of zucchini bread, I let the loaves cool completely and slice into thick slices that I individually wrap and store in the freezer until the craving hits again.
