Although it's a Saturday, because of a special request from a baby mommy, I am making zucchini bread. She is having some trouble feeding her 1-year-old fruits and vegetables and wanted to know some bread recipes that included but cleverly hid those products, especially because he loves bread. The zucchini recipe below is a healthier version, with no butter, and uses skim milk, and brown sugar instead of granulated. You also get good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) from the addition of nuts!
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups A.P. Flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cups canola oil
- 3 tablespoon nonfat milk
- 1 ½ cups zucchini shredded (about 1 large zucchini)
- ¾ cups walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, from the flour to the cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and milk.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, followed by the zucchini and walnuts. Mix well to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hr or until done. The bread is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes, remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
When I first heard of zucchini bread, the first thought that came into my head was, "Yuck!" Who wants vegetables in their dessert? Ahh, I was proven very wrong after I tried a piece of heavenly zucchini bread. The zucchini is subtle enough that it blends with the cinnamon sugar-ness of the bread while giving moisture to the baked good.
When shredding the zucchini, make sure to use a mandoline or grater for the best results. You want the zucchini fine enough that there aren't chunks of zucchini in the bread, but not too thin that it disappears completely.
What's great about this recipe is that it's so versatile. Lactose-intolerant? Use soy milk, almond milk, or hemp milk. Not a fan of walnuts? Substitute with pecans, almonds, or skip the nuts altogether.
Don't worry if the batter looks dry. If you let it sit for several minutes, the water from the zucchini will moisten the batter - like magic! Bake the bread for 45 minutes - 1 hour in the center rack.
Be sure to check if your bread is ready with a toothpick; I've made a batch before where the center wasn't completely cooked - disaster! Cool or serve warm and enjoy!
For more bread inspiration check out this lemon ricotta pound cake!
Morton Lennox
cma0425