I love zucchini.  I will put it in anything, and have been happy as heck to have a garden overflowing with the stuff this summer.  In a few minutes, I’ll be starting zucchini fritters for my own family, but a friend asked for a zucchini bread recipe, and it happens I have a good one.  You can tell.  The recipe card is spattered and sticky, and almost impossible to read.  I use the same formula for almost all of my quick breads and swap out whatever I have on hand, mashed banana, shredded carrot, cooked pumpkin or in this case, zucchini, and then adjust sweetness and spices accordingly.  Quick breads are a satisfying, easy entree to baking, make lovely gifts, and for me, sweeten the pre-dawn hour of silent communion with my coffee cup that I need before I’m ready to face another human being in the morning. Even zucchini haters love this moist, spicy bread.

WHAT

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I am in love with the roasted cinnamon a friend gave me)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/4 cup cooking oil (you can lower the fat and use unsweetened apple sauce, but the result is a slightly tougher bread)

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon fresh lime zest

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

HOW

Grease the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of your loaf pan and set aside.  In medium mixing bowl (or bowl of stand mixer), combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In another bowl, blend sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, egg and lime zest. Fold nuts in last.

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until it smells amazing, has risen, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I like to top this with either a sprinkle of coarse sugar crystals, or this cinnamon streusel topping, which I keep prepared and frozen, so it’s on hand for all kinds of baking. (scroll through to the bottom to get instructions for the topping)

Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then you can invert and cool completely on a wire rack.  If your family doesn’t just eat it all before you’ve even finished the dishes.

Enjoy