From the Kitchen: Chocolate Zucchini Bread
All summer I have people give me zucchini because they have grown too much and their kitchen is being taken over. You can only eat zucchini every meal for about a week before you never want to see one again. Once I created and perfected this recipe, I willingly took in all the unwanted squash, and it has become my favorite time of year. For a solid 2 months I constantly have a loaf of this bread on my counter.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup All-purpose flour
½ Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Salt
¾ Cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Eggs (large)
¼ Cup Vegetable oil
⅓ Cup Unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream)
⅔ Cup Granulated sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Cup Shredded zucchini
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until combined.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Fold in the zucchini (do not squeeze out or remove any of the liquid from the zucchini. I help keep the bread moist.)
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45–55 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. All ovens vary, so begin checking around the 45-minute mark.
Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove bread from the pan and place the loaf directly on the wire rack to cool completely.
Cover and store bread at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
—Hunter McCarthy, Head Chef
