Zucchini-o-Rama!

Yes, folks! It's that time of year AGAIN when the farmer in me comes out and the fruits of my labour are ready to be enjoyed. Every year I tell myself to pick those zucchinis before they become monsters and EVERY YEAR I pull them out when they're the size of platypuses (...er...platypi? Um...perhaps it's just platypus? Whatever, you get the gist...) and as I shred each zucchini I rue the day I planted them, because now I will have zucchini bread to last me until 2053. Why not use them for something other than zucchini bread, you ask? Good question. Mostly because I find them disgusting unless they're covered in sugar and cinnamon. Hopefully that answers your question.

Anyway, I wanted to pass along my go-to recipes for both plain zucchini bread AND chocolate zucchini bread with one caveat....if you live near me - DON'T MAKE THESE! - You'll get yours soon enough!

~F.

Mom's Zucchini Bread (recipe from Allrecipes.com)
* Please note - this Mom is not mine - but someone else's from Allrecipes.com

Original recipe makes 2 loaves

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 3 eggs
  

• 1 cup vegetable oil
  
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
  
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (this step I omit because I don't like nuts in my bread)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

This image is from http://www.babble.com

My Mom's Chocolate Zucchini Bread
* Please note - this really is MY mom : ) - but I don't know what her original source is...

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups shredded peeled zucchini

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).