This time of year we pretty much have zucchini coming out of our ears. For awhile I've been searching for the perfect chocolate-zucchini bread, but haven't been particularly thrilled with any of the recipes I've stumbled upon. So I decided to get creative and make it up as I went along. Keeping the ingredients fairly healthy for the most part allows this yummy treat to be an indulgence without the guilt attached to the typical sour cream-laden quick bread. Also, since quick breads freeze fantastically, go ahead-- make a bunch! You'll thank me when the weather turns cold.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 1/2 cups sucanat (or substitute with regular sugar)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or substitute with canola oil)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 c plain yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder (if you don't like your chocolate on the dark & rich side, you may want to scale this back to 2/3 or 1/2 cup)
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- powdered sugar (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 8x4 loaf pans well.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar well for several minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Add oil, applesauce, zucchini, and vanilla, blending well. Fold in yogurt.
- Combine cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mixture in a small bowl. Mix the dry ingredients (the larger portion) with the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Mix the two tablespoons of reserved dry ingredients with the chocolate chips, stirring to coat. Fold in chocolate chips to batter. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let loaves rest on a cooling rack in pans for 15-20 minutes before removing. Cool completely on rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
No comments:
Post a Comment