Zucchini Bread

 

It still bewilders me when someone says that they don't like zucchini bread.  I have discovered something though, if you keep asking and asking them about it, eventually they will admit to the fact that they have never actually tried zucchini bread.  Now, I'm all for hating on foods (hello clam chowder!), but come on people, at least try it first.  It's only fair.  So, if you are in fact one of these people who think they hate zucchini bread, beware, because I will find you and force feed you a piece my beautiful zucchini bread.  Just ask Ben.  Yep, he was one of these people.

I knew the moment I saw those beautifully, huge, firm green zucchinis last Saturday that zucchini bread was in my near future.  And I couldn't be happier.  Mom used to make this on a week night for the next morning's breakfast.  It rarely lasted the whole day, and she always did a double batch, making two loafs.  For making zucchini bread, the general role of thumb was that for each loaf you shredded a medium sized zucchini.  However, my zucchinis are some of the biggest I've ever seen.  That mammoth boy to the right there sufficed for two loafs all on his own.   He got shredded to the nub and combined with your basic quick bread ingredients.  Plus heaping teaspoons of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg and lemon zest.

This is the recipe my mom always used and I have no idea where she initially got it.  I hardly change a thing, except to add heaping in front of "1 tsp. of cinnamon".  That and I don't actually measure the grated nutmeg or the lemon zest.  But that's half of the fun of using a microplane, just grating and zesting right in to the bowl.  Have I mentioned my love affair with my microplane?  I actually want another one, mostly because I want more, but also because they come in multiple sizes!  Mine now is specifically for Parmesan, zest and coconut.  Obviously, I must have the one specific for nutmeg and cinnamon stick grating!

The recipe is so easy, I have yet to foul it up ever, and I've been helping make zucchini bread going on at least 16 years now.  You whisk up the dry ingredients real fast, then throw them all together with the zucchini, egg, oil and lemon zest.  There was always the option to throw in a half a cup of nuts or chocolate chips if you wanted, but it's so not necessary.  Two hints: one, as with all quick breads, don't over mix the batter, this will cause the loafs to be flat and not rise as much.  And number two, if you double the batch, make sure you check each loaf separately, mine were done 4 minutes apart.  They came out golden brown, with scraggly cracks across the tops, a sure sign from my childhood of deliciousness.  Yum.

So, if you are counting that does mean I am still left with one zucchini in the vegetable crisper.  All day I had been wondering if I could use this recipe and make muffins out of it, but I didn't have the guts to experiment with it tonight.  Any thoughts from any of you out there?  Can you magically turn quick bread into muffins?

And in case you were wondering, Ben is now a convert.  The boy who hated zucchini bread just asked me to save him some, and he won't even be here for another week.

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. (heaping!) cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. suger
1 c. shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 1 medium)
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1/4 tsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease bottom of loaf pan.

Whisk together the first 7 ingredients (through sugar).  Mix in shredded zucchini, egg, oil and lemon zest.  Mix until just combined and do not over bet batter.  Pour into prepared load pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.

Coal in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and left cool.  Enjoy!