Okay, so I'm currently obsessed with cooking and putting things up for the winter. 2 gallons of tomato sauce, 9 pounds of frozen meatballs. Now zucchini bread. Oh, how I *heart* zucchini bread. My mom made bread this time of year while I was growing up, and she would slather each piece with butter and then cut it into little squares for me to spear with a toothpick and shove into my mouth. I'm not sure what I loved more, the bread or the butter. Real butter, not margarine.
Zucchini is plentiful around here this time of year. Huge squash the size of an arm. Everybody who has more than one plant is trying to pawn off their zucchini. So far, I have baked 16 loaves of zucchini bread- using 40+ cups of zucchini! None of this zucchini came from our garden. We learned two years ago not to waste precious space (on our postage stamp sized lot) on squash when each summer everyone else is trying to get rid of theirs. Mom loaned me her loaf pans ('cuz what 28-year-old has accumulated 8 loaf pans? Martha, I'm not.), and also gave me her Zucchini Bread recipe, which has been tweaked over the years to be a oh-so moist and tasty. And simple. And here it is. It's worth the time. Trust me!
Marlene's Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oil (I used 1/2 cup oil and 3/4 cup applesauce instead)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup splenda)
2-3 cups shredded zucchini
1 t vanilla
3 eggs
** 1 cup nuts or 1 cup raisins are optional
Combine all dry ingredients together. Combine all wet ingredients together. Then add wet ingredients and zucchini to the dry mixture. Combine well. Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.
I LOVE zucchini bread! I'll have to try out your mom's recipe:)
Posted by: Alyssa | September 18, 2006 at 06:52 PM
16 loaves? Can they be kept long? Otherwise, you need to give them away, I suppose! The recipe really looks simple ... perhaps I should try it out in the new oven too!
Posted by: Agnes | September 18, 2006 at 07:05 PM
Oh yum. That's a recipe I'll be using soon. I've got eleventy thousand zucchini's already harvested, not to mention what's in the garden.
Posted by: Carrie K | September 18, 2006 at 07:16 PM
Sounds good! I might just have to give it a try. I've been on a big baking/cooking binge lately -- I think it is my humble attempt to bring on Fall already!
Posted by: amanda | September 18, 2006 at 08:06 PM
Are going to send it out with your orders? Cause I just placed one, and I think you so should!!
Posted by: Leah | September 18, 2006 at 09:01 PM
FYI- I freeze the bread so I have it all winter. And Leah, this is mine all mine. And maybe a little bit for Joe. Maybe.
Posted by: Allison | September 19, 2006 at 08:14 AM
Allison, Your recipe sounds great! I especially love the fact that you used Splenda and applesauce.
Being diabetic, that makes it easier for me to eat a little.
The first zucchini I get, I'm going to give your recipe a try for sure.
This Saturday is the first day of Fall, and I say 'bring it on'! Nothing better than baking and knitting for great fall activities ;-)
Posted by: Denise | September 19, 2006 at 11:06 AM
I have whole tomatoes (mine), peaches, apples, blueberries and strawberries in my freezer! Now I MUST add the bread!! I MUST, I MUST, I MUST!!
bjr
Posted by: B. Rickman | September 19, 2006 at 07:06 PM
I just signed up for this feed today and the first post I get is about zucchini bread?
I think I'm in love...
Posted by: Becka | September 19, 2006 at 08:38 PM
Awww, I LOVE zucchini bread! I never had a really great recipe for it, but yours seems to be the perfect one - I've already printed it out and will make sure to try it out soonest possible! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: Dipsy D. | September 20, 2006 at 04:29 AM
Oh this sounds good! I"ll have to remember to grab some squash at the groc tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Posted by: Becky | September 21, 2006 at 05:56 PM
maybe you should include a zucchina in every order???LOL/
also love the bread, as mom and grandma made it since forever!! one of our institutions of our country I bet :-) Like apple pie...Looks yummy!!
Posted by: sherry | September 22, 2006 at 08:42 AM
zuccini always takes over my garden - you end up with way more than you could ever eat!!!!
Posted by: stacey | September 22, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Your recipe sounds fabulous! I may be the only one in my house who will eat it, but I certainly don't consider that a problem! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
(My mother's name is Marlene, too, btw).
Posted by: AmyS | September 23, 2006 at 11:14 AM