Sunday, August 25, 2013
When that green-speckled squash just keeps coming and coming each August, it’s time to bake up a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. The original story is here, and I hope you check it out.
However, when I went to bake it yesterday and clicked on the link, the recipe was no longer there, oddly. (Glad I checked.) Rather, it linked to a number of URLs that reposted the original Joy of Baking recipe, which I couldn’t be sure was my own adaptation. Ergo today’s post—thank goodness for my old paper copy and notes—which I’m putting up here to make your life easier and mine as well next time I go to mix up my favorite quick bread.
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini (keep the peels on, of course)
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder (preferably high-quality dark)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking power
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 eggs, large
- 1/2 cup canola oil (or another vegetable oi)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease or spray a 9x5x3″ nonstick loaf pan. Mix together dry ingredients, making sure to remove the clumps from the cocoa. (Sift if desired.) Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts to coat. Lightly whisk eggs, then beat in oil, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. Mix wet ingredients into dry until just combined and scrape into prepared pan. Bake 55-65 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center is clean.
NoteL Don’t forget to preheat the oven, as I did yesterday. Fortunately, while the loaf stood waiting for 20 minutes as I fretted, it happily worked out just fine.
Absolutely delicious, this is a must-make moist and chocolaty treat when you just don’t know what to do with all that zucchini. I hope you love it as much as I do!
I wonder if I could use some stevia in place of all this sugar. I’m loving stevia in my homemade yogurt and custards. I’ve tried it in some baking with mixed results.
Hmmm. No idea. Baking with sugar substitutes is certainly a great idea for those with diabetes, insulin resistance / pre-diabetes, or those looking for a lower calorie dessert. I personally bake so infrequently such that when I do I tend to use the real thing—but that’s just me. If you do and it works, let us know! 🙂
Stevia is the only sugar substitute I ever use. Splenda causes stro9kes according to several scientific studies. In the meantime there was one recipe posted the same day as yours with only 1.4 cup sugar… I’ll have to experiment for myself :). But it’s something that’s worth putting a little effort into, I think – looks great! And PS – Another recipe the same day called for TWO cups sugar. I think I’ll start with a 1/4 cup sugar and some stevia…