This is the story behind the zucchini loaf: A couple days ago, I was lying around watching 'Bake with Anna Olsen' and she was doing an episode on 'vegetables', which included a zucchini loaf. Anna Olsen often inspires me to try and make something, and as I was watching this episode I realized that I had some leftover zucchini from earlier in the week (I made Angel Hair Pasta with Bread Crumbs and Zucchini and a Tortilla Soup).
Anna Olsen's zucchini loaf wasn't chocolate, so I set out in search of a double chocolate zucchini loaf that would be moist, not too rich, and not sugary enough that you couldn't eat it for breakfast. I found this recipe; however, there turned out to be a kink in my plans. When I went to start making the loaf, I realized that I did not, in fact, have lots of leftover zucchini. I only had half a small one. My plans were foiled! Luckily, we were going grocery shopping later that day and I decided that leftover zucchini or not, I would be making the loaf!
Quick breads are really quite simple, and they're given that name for a reason. No need for a stand or hand-mixer, and everything can be put together and in the oven in a matter of minutes. And while I absolutely adore our stand-mixer, I relish in the times that I don't have to lug the heavy beast out.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini, packed
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8" pan.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl. Add the zucchini in and toss to coat. *Apparently coating the zucchini in the flour mixture helps to keep the moisture in the zucchini.* Set aside.
Combine the oil, white sugar, brown sugar and eggs in a small bowl. Whisk together quickly for 2 minutes, until the mixture is slightly fluffy (work those muscles!). Add vanilla and sour cream and whisk until combined.
Combine the liquid mixture with the flour mixture and slowly stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips until distributed evenly.
Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until when a cake tester pick is inserted it comes out clean. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove and have the loaf sit on a cooling rack until completely cool.
*To help keep quick bread loaves fresh, first wrap in a layer of waxed paper, and then in aluminum foil.
Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
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