Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 
I picked the first zucchini out of my garden yesterday.  At this time of year, they are abundant and it seems that everyday a new one is ready to be picked.  I am also overwhelmed sometimes, because people want to share their bounty with me, and I find myself trying to think of various ways to use these dark green garden favorites.  While I have various recipes in my file for the use of this garden vegetable, one of my favorites is this chocolate zucchini bread.  It is dense, chocolaty, and moist.  Also, this recipe can be converted into a chocolate cake.  The entire batch can be poured into a 9x13 pan.



Ingredients:

2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. canola oil
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate OR 6 T. cocoa powder with 2 T. butter
3 c. grated zucchini
3 c. flour
½ c. chopped nuts, optional

 

Cut the ends of the zucchini and discard.  Cut the remainder into quarters.  Remove the innermost part, with the seeds, and discard.  For convenience, use a food processor.  However, a hand grater can be used as well.

Beat the sugar and eggs together with a whisk.

 

To the sugar and egg mixture, add chocolate (and butter, if using the cocoa powder), oil, vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon; mix well.  The mixture will become extremely thick and harder to mix.  Once the zucchini is added, however, the mixture will begin to thin.

 

Add flour and zucchini to the mixture, and mix well.  If desired, nuts may be added at this time.

 

Grease two loaf pans with butter, then coat lightly with flour.  Pour the mixture evenly into each loaf pan, as this recipe is designed to make two loaves.  Do not attempt to make one large loaf, as it will not bake evenly using this particular recipe.

Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the midsection comes out clean.