Zucchini Bread

This is my basic, all time, go to zucchini bread recipe. It's simple, flavorful, loaded with zucchini and most important - delicious. Not every one likes pumpkin zucchini bread, but this one is perfect. You can make it when you have tons of zucchini (hello, home garden!) and freeze the loaves for another time. All you have to do is pop a loaf out the night before you want to eat it, let it defrost over night in the fridge, and you are good to go. Once it's fully thawed you can even pop it in the oven to warm through and it will taste like it was just baked. Or even better, you can slice it thick and pop it in the toaster for a little crunchy bite. Sometimes it is tricky to get the slices out of the toaster, so be careful. No using a fork to get this out - you will hurt yourself. Instead, use some of these, toast tongs! You can find them almost anywhere and if you are a toast or bagel person, these are a must have in your kitchen. Plus, then you won't burn or electrocute yourself trying to get out those stubborn pieces of toast from the toaster.

the line up

shredded zucchini

swirling cinnamon

pre-baked

can I please eat this now? YUM.

Zucchini Bread (adapted from The New Cookbook - Limited Edition by Better Homes & Garden)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar 

1 1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini

1/4 cup canola oil (or unsweetened applesauce)

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Grease the bottom and 12 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

See, easy and delicious. This recipe yields one loaf, but I recommend you double it and put the extra loaf in the freezer - if it lasts that long. Even better, no one will ever guess how much zucchini is ever in this!