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Some foods are just meant to be together, even ones that don’t really seem like they should – that is until you taste them. Like celery and peanut butter (a classic when sprinkled with raisins), corn and maple syrup (think Rhode Island Johnny cakes), Italian salami and mild honey (trust me, it’s even better with gorgonzola), or scrambled eggs and Tabasco sauce (not ketchup, please not ketchup). And, of course, chocolate and zucchini - a match made in heaven.
My grandmother’s chocolate zucchini bread is one of my earliest food memories. She would arrive to babysit carrying bags laden with casseroles and cookies and breads. Spread with whipped cream cheese, the moist, fragrant slices of this unlikely quick bread were my favorite treat. Nannie, my grandmother, only made chocolate zucchini bread in the summer, a holdover from the days when my grandfather’s garden overflowed with the green squash. Even if you don’t have a garden of your own, the farmers markets will soon be bursting with beautiful green zucchini. These loaves, which are half-bread, half-cake, and totally perfect as an afternoon snack, are a lovely and unexpected way to use the bounty.
Nannie always used diced zucchini, and I love the little chunks. But if you prefer a more uniform bread, you can certainly use shredded zucchini instead, which disappears into subtle strands in the crumb. If you do opt for shredded zucchini, reduce the amount by about ¼ cup.
Nannie’s Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Makes two loaves
1/2 cup butter, softened
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups diced or zucchini (about 1 large)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided (optional)
¼ cup chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (Nannie was big on sifting – don’t skip this step). Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and beat just to combine. Fold in the zucchini and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Spread the batter into two greased loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with the remaining walnuts and the chocolate. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving. This bread freezes very well; just wrap cooled loaves in plastic and place in a freezer bag.
Check out Dedham resident Katie Pelczar's blog at www.cozydelicious.com for more fun and nostalgic recipes.
Some foods are just meant to be together, even ones that don’t really seem like they should – that is until you taste them. Like celery and peanut butter (a classic when sprinkled with raisins), corn and maple syrup (think Rhode Island Johnny cakes), Italian salami and mild honey (trust me, it’s even better with gorgonzola), or scrambled eggs and Tabasco sauce (not ketchup, please not ketchup). And, of course, chocolate and zucchini - a match made in heaven.
My grandmother’s chocolate zucchini bread is one of my earliest food memories. She would arrive to babysit carrying bags laden with casseroles and cookies and breads. Spread with whipped cream cheese, the moist, fragrant slices of this unlikely quick bread were my favorite treat. Nannie, my grandmother, only made chocolate zucchini bread in the summer, a holdover from the days when my grandfather’s garden overflowed with the green squash. Even if you don’t have a garden of your own, the farmers markets will soon be bursting with beautiful green zucchini. These loaves, which are half-bread, half-cake, and totally perfect as an afternoon snack, are a lovely and unexpected way to use the bounty.
Nannie always used diced zucchini, and I love the little chunks. But if you prefer a more uniform bread, you can certainly use shredded zucchini instead, which disappears into subtle strands in the crumb. If you do opt for shredded zucchini, reduce the amount by about ¼ cup.
Nannie’s Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Makes two loaves
1/2 cup butter, softened
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups diced or zucchini (about 1 large)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided (optional)
¼ cup chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (Nannie was big on sifting – don’t skip this step). Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and beat just to combine. Fold in the zucchini and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Spread the batter into two greased loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with the remaining walnuts and the chocolate. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving. This bread freezes very well; just wrap cooled loaves in plastic and place in a freezer bag.
Check out Dedham resident Katie Pelczar's blog at www.cozydelicious.com for more fun and nostalgic recipes.
