Zucchini Bread - Regular and Chocolate Chip

Chocolate chip version. So moist and delicious!

I love quick breads. They are simple and nothing can quite beat them sliced cold with butter spread on it. For me, zucchini bread goes back to Hendrina VanOrt that I mentioned in an earlier post. (Good Cookies)

It was 1980 and Mom was pregnant with my baby sister. I was 13 years old and fully discovering that I loved to bake. Recipe in hand I made zucchini bread. It turned out perfect. However, Mom had morning sickness and hasn't been able to eat zucchini bread since. I felt so bad for doing that to her but as an adult realized it wasn't my bread, it was just nature.

I no longer have the original recipe and after plenty of searching and modifying came up with I feel is a reasonable substitute. I think I am going to try a healthier version of this some other time replacing the huge amount of sugar with Splenda and the ridiculous amount of oil with applesauce.

I also ended up with far too much shredded zucchini so just measured out what I wanted and froze the remainder in 2 cup increments, sealing it with the FoodSaver. The pictures show me making a double batch. I love to share quick breads.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325F. 

Chop up the nuts. I love my handy little food chopper. Clean up is easy and I can chop faster with this tool than it would take me to drag out a processor or any other chopping device.

Wash your zucchini (2-3 medium size), cut off end opposite of stem. The stem will help you hold it while grating with a hand grater. However, if you have a food processor cut off both ends and grate. You do not peel the zucchini.

This is 6 cups of shredded zucchini.

In a mixing bowl add the oil, water and eggs.

Whisk together.

Add sugar and beat in.

Add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well.

Add flour. Mix well.

Mix in the walnuts.

Time for zucchini!

Fold together until well blended.

At this point add 1-2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips if you like. I made half and half and forgot to take a picture.

Spray 5 mini pans or 2 8x4inch loaf pans. I measured 1 cup of batter in each mini cup.

See the chocolate chips in the front pans?

Bake mini loaves for 1 hour and the large loaf for 1 hour 30 minutes until tester or toothpick (my choice) comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan. Place each loaf in a resealable bag and refrigerate or freeze.

And now I'm thinking that a thick cream cheese frosting would be really good spread on a slice of this moist bread. Hmmm....

After eating the slices that I made for the picture I think cream cheese frosting would be far too sweet.

Also note: With the chocolate chip version the chips like to stick to the bottom of the pan. I think I would spray and flour the pan to see if that helps. Or possibly line with fold and then peel the foil off.