Thursday, July 26, 2012

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread



I found these zucchini in my parents' garden Monday afternoon.  Two plants grew healthy this summer in the sunny patch and they're starting to produce yields big enough to enjoy.  My mom couldn't contain her excitement when she saw these babies in her garden, she could hardly wait to pick more of them.

Zucchini


The day I picked those zucchini, I saw a post from King Arthur Flour's Facebook page about the double chocolate zucchini bread.  I was salivating looking at the picture that I determined I would make that the next day.  Even I couldn't contain my excitement about making a zucchini bread!

There're a lot of recipes using zucchini and chocolate but I have to say that this one is one of the best.  The amount of zucchini needed isn't outrageous (I hate grating zucchini), the chocolate flavor is really there, the bread isn't overly dry or wet, the crumb was tight, and the level of moistness is just right.  What I did differently were using half bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate in the bread and save 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top of the bread; otherwise everything stayed the same.  Baking time was slightly reduced for my oven, it was around 60 minutes that the bread was done.  And I smeared some Nutella on my bread, mmm....

Chocolate Zucchini Bread


Chocolate Zucchini Bread


A bread like this makes me smile; it makes me think of a wonderful summer weather, the harvest from our own garden, and how connected we are to the food we grow ourselves.


Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread


Yield one 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf



2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

1/3 cup cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed on a colander over a bowl or sink to release some of its moisture

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (a combination of bittersweet and semisweet), save the 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top of bread



Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Scatter the reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, until the loaf tests done (a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean, save for perhaps a light smear of chocolate from the melted chips).

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack.  Cool completely before slicing; store well-wrapped, at room temperature.

24 comments:

  1. We're just starting to gather up squash bread and nut bread recipes for the Fall. This one looks excellent. Love your photography.

    Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment here!

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  2. Aaaah, mau bikiiiiin.. dulu pernah bikin pake resep siapaaa gitu, enak ya ternyata pake zukini, cakenya jadi moist banget. amazing *norak*.
    btw, gue kangeeeen.. giling dah, ternyata gue masih ngefans berat sama elo! *jiaahahahaa..*

    Bikin, bikin! Enak banget ini kue, gak sia2 nanem zucchini ampe bejibun gitu panennya.
    Gpp dah elo fans ama gue, biar ngeramein, fans gue mah dikit :D

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  3. What does gently pressed mean?

    It means that the zucchini has to be pressed slightly to release its moisture. I had edited the instruction.

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  4. the extra 1/4 cup choc chips to put on top, when do they get put on top? before or after cooking?

    Thank you for pointing that up to me! The chips are scattered on top of the batter before baking it. I've edited for clarity.

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  5. Why Do You Have An Option To Create A Pin If You Don't want People To Pin Items From Your SIte?

    I don't mind if an individual wants to pin my post on her Pinterest account directly from my website & I think the Pinterest button is working fine here. But if the link comes from an outside website & gets rejected by Pinterest, it's because I need to control what's going on with my blog's content in the digital world. I'm sorry if that happens to you.

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  6. This was dry.

    I'm sorry this doesn't work out for you

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  7. What could I use I'm place of the honey?

    Perhaps you could use agave nectar. Maple syrup would work if only you can tolerate the flavor in the bread.

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  8. Wonderful recipe!!! I'm in love!!! :)
    My bread came out a little dry but I will keep working on it! Made my day!

    I'm glad you like the recipe! Thank you for visiting as well!

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  9. Made this, this past weekend, was outstanding! Family loved it. I added 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, for some added moisture. Was perfect!

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  10. Here's what I changed... I used 1/3 cup melted butter and 1/3 cup Oikos vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the oil, and melted 1/4 cup of the chocolate and mixed it in with the wet ingredients, as well as the cocoa. Did not use the espresso powder. Baked at 350 for 62 minutes, let cool in the pan for 20, and then took it out and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. It was ABSOLUTELY perfect!

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  11. Just pulled from the oven! A tip on shredding the zucchini; a Presto Salad Shooter. takes about a minute to shred 2 cups. Just a thought for those who found the bread to be dry; I have to remind myself to drop to 325 on the baking temp when using a dark coated pan otherwise my results too are dry. Thanks for sharing, mine sure smells chocolatey - yum!

    Good advice on oven temp & dark pan Connie!

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  12. I thought the bread was moist and had a great chocolate flavor. I used unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil and it turned out great.

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  13. Baked this today...it turned out just right, and tastes wonderful. :) great recipe, thanks!

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  14. Any ideas on how to make this gluten free?

    Hi Laurel, I'm afraid I don't know the answer because I'm not an expert in gluten-free baking. There's gluten-free all-purpose flour from Bob's Red Mill but I've never used it so I can't predict how the bread will turn out using that flour. I wish I could help you!

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  15. I love this!!! Thank you for sharing. There were a lot of happy faces on this end.

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  16. Baked this up this morning....looks just like your picture and the house smells heavenly. I have my jar of Nutella ready! Thanks.

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  17. Perfectly delicious! I made it exactly as your recipe is written. My husband devoured it! Thanks for adding this to my menu!

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  18. It doesn't say when to mix in the brown sugar.... :)

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  19. Whoops I just re-read again sorry

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  20. […] nochmal ein Zugetti-Schokokuchen rezept: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread | Notes from My Food Diary […]

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  21. Made today, only changes I made was I used 1/4 stevia in place of the honey and grape seed oil instead of the veg oil. Turned out wonderful and very moist. Thanks for sharing!

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  22. Just made this. Delicious. Tried it with Nutella...sinful. Thank you for the recipe.

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  23. I've made this recipe numerous times and it ALWAYS turns out ! Extremely moist! Ive never used brown sugar though, always subbed applesauce or yogurt. Always bake at 350 too. Thank you !

    You're very welcome Cassandra! Thank you for visiting my site as well.

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  24. Nice recipe. Thanks so much.

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