Zucchini Bread, with Nuts & Raisins or Cranberries

Zucchini (Courgette)

By Cat, June 2014 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Wheat (about); 2. Other True Grains (about) (includes Spelt); 3. Bread & Rolls Menu; 4. Zucchini Bread, with Nuts & Curry Spices; 5. Chocolate Zucchini Cake; 6. Spices (links to my main website)

Other sites: 1. What’s Cooking America, Cranberry Zucchini Recipe (1); 2. Comfortable Food, Cranberry, Orange Zucchini Bread (2)

In the 1970s, the back-to-the-land movement had everyone growing zucchini in their yards.  But then the question arose:  what do I do with ALL this squash?  The answer was zucchini bread.  I think everyone had the recipe, and everyone got a loaf of zucchini bread as a neighborly present. I no longer recall who gave me the recipe, and never knew its original source.

Traditional Zucchini Bread, with Nuts & Raisins or Cranberries

Yellow Summer Squash

Makes 2 loaves. (Photo, left, from Wikimedia Commons)

I prefer not to use the salad oil (corn or safflower oil) specified in the original recipe – such high-heat-extracted vegetable oils are not good for you (they are rancid and contain free radicals). Instead, I use butter, coconut oil and/or olive oil.

I like to add nuts and fruit to my zucchini bread; here are some possible options:

• Golden or dark raisins, with walnuts;
• Zante currants with walnuts;
• Organic dried cranberries with pecans; dried cranberries include a lot of added sugar, so use Organic dried cranberries to avoid HFCS.
• Fresh or frozen cranberries with pecans; you may want to increase the sweetener in the recipe (see note in recipe).

I would like to adapt this recipe for a presoak of the whole grain flour, but have not done so yet.

Ingredients & Equipment for 2 loaves

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup olive oil (or ½ cup olive oil, and ½ cup coconut oil or butter)
• ½ tsp stevia extract powder and 1 cup Rapadura sugar or date sugar (originally 2 cups  sugar)
• 2 cups grated zucchini or other summer squash including the liquid
• 2 tsp vanilla extract powder
• 3 cups flour
• zest of ½ orange (optional)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 2 – 3 tsp cinnamon or 1 tbsp each ground cinnamon and cloves)
• 1 – 2 cups chopped nuts (or ½ cup each chopped nuts, and 1 cup raisins, currants or dried/fresh/frozen cranberries *)
• large, medium and small mixing bowls
• grater
• 2 loaf pans
• beater/mixer (hand or electric)
• wooden spoon

* If using fresh/frozen cranberries, increase sweetener up to ¼ cup sugar equivalent (⅛ tsp stevia extract powder or ¼ cup Rapadura sugar)

1. Grate zucchini; if using stevia, stir it into the zucchini; set aside. Grate zest of orange, if using – I like to use this if I am using cranberries.
2. Beat eggs well; add oil and butter (if using) with sugar, zucchini, and vanilla and mix well.
3. In separate bowl, sift flour, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. If using orange zest, whisk it into the sifted mix. Remove about ¼ cup of the mix to dredge the nuts and raisins (or replacement) in a small bowl.
4. Using wooden spoon, fold in the flour mixture to the egg mixture, gradually, stirring a bit after each addition, but do not over mix. Fold in the dredged nuts/fruit.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans, and bake in preheated oven about 1 hour.
6. Remove to rack to cool a bit before removing bread from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

References

1. What’s Cooking America, Cranberry Zucchini Recipe (uses fresh/frozen cranberries) (whatscookingamerica.net/KarenCalanchini/ZucchiniCranberryBread.htm)
2. Comfortable Food, Cranberry, Orange Zucchini Bread (uses dried cranberries)(comfortablefood.com/cranberry-orange-zucchini-bread)