ZUCCHINI BREAD

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Baked goods are a great way to use up an abundance of zucchini, and we like our zucchini bread to be bursting with the flavor of the vegetable. Zucchini naturally produces a moist loaf or cake thanks to its high moisture content. However, if not used correctly, zucchini can impart too much moisture, leaving baked goods extremely wet and gummy. By removing a majority of the liquid from the zucchini, along with most other sources of moisture, and lowering the fat, we were able to up our zucchini content from 12 ounces to 1½ pounds, getting more zucchini flavor without sacrificing a properly moist and tender crumb. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the zucchini. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early.

MAKES: 1 loaf

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes cooling time)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ pounds zucchini, trimmed and shredded
• 1¼ cups packed (8¾ ounces) brown sugar
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (2¾ ounces) whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. PREPARE THE OVEN AND PAN:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan.

2. PREPARE THE ZUCCHINI MIXTURE:

• Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid (½ to ⅔ cup).
• In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together.
• Fold in the zucchini.

3. PREPARE THE DRY INGREDIENTS:

• In a large bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg together.
• Fold in the zucchini mixture until just incorporated.
• Fold in the walnuts, if using.

4. BAKE THE ZUCCHINI BREAD:

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
• Bake until the top bounces back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1¼ hours.
• Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
• Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack.
• Serve.

VARIATIONS:

• ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH PISTACHIOS AND ORANGE

• • Substitute 1 teaspoon grated orange zest for cinnamon.
  • Add ½ teaspoon ground cardamom in with nutmeg.
  • Substitute pistachios for walnuts.

• ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH WALNUTS AND CHERRIES

• • Substitute cocoa powder for cinnamon.
  • Substitute ground cloves for nutmeg.
  • Prepare bread with walnuts.
  • Add ¾ cup dried cherries, chopped, to batter with walnuts