Zookini

For those (6) of you who have been reading this blog you may have started to ask yourself, "Self, where are the noms???"

I apologize for my lack for culinary contributions.  I had lots of plans and lots of recipes in my head but August turned into September and September turned into what it does every year: Nutcracker Hell.  Nutcracker Hell begins mid-September with auditions and lasts through the fall until mid-December when we finally perform the darn thing.  In between there are tears over casting, angry stage mothers, scheduling nightmares, tutu rehabilitation, over 100 hours of rehearsals, 5 burns from hot glue and countless other fiascos that I can't name because they haven't happened yet.  But they will.  Oh, but they will. 

I finally found time to make one of my favorite summer-into-fall desserts.  Well, it's not really dessert.  It's not really breakfast.  Teatime snack?  Whatever, it's the beloved and humble Zucchini Bread!

I love all bread/cakes like this.  Banana, carrot, they're all great.  Are they cakes?  Are they breads?  The world may never know...  This is my favorite zucchini bread recipe and Robiño always raves about it.  It's moist, not too heavy, travels well, freezes well.  What's not to like?  It's adapted from something I found on the interwebs called "California Blue Ribbon Zucchini Bread".  I don't know where or when this won a blue ribbon or even who was doling out these ribbons but who cares?  It's a winner!

Here's what you need:

Hi!

We've got two smallish zucchinis (you are going to need two cups after grating), sugar, eggs, canola oil (regular vegetable is fine), vanilla, flour, baking soda AND baking powder, salt, cinnamonamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and golden raisins (you can certainly use regular raisins if that's all you've got.  No judgment.)

First thing you need to do is grate the zucchinis.  Now don't start whipping out your Cuisinarts and Robot Coupes with their fancy grater attachments.  Slow down!  All you need is one of these guys.

Remember me? 

Good ole box grater.  You will thank me when all you need to do is rinse this little guy off instead having to clean the bajillion parts on your food processor.  It's so fast to grate zucchinis.  It took me less than 90 seconds to accomplish this:

So satisfying!

After this you can pack your shreds into a two cup glass measuring cup.  I really packed them in because I didn't want any leftover.  I think you can be pretty relaxed about the exact amount of zucchini.  A little more or less is not going to sink the ship.

Next, you need to sift your dry ingredients.  I know, I know nobody hates it more than I to see the word "sift" in a baking recipe.  Sifting is annoying.  It takes time.  It takes one more implement.

I guess if you want to forgo the sifting you are welcome to do so.  It's a free country.  I, however, do not like to anger the baking gods so I dutifully sift when it's called for.  I play by the rules. 

Sifting is fun!

I always sift onto wax paper.  That way I can carry the fluffy goodness over to the mixer sling-like and it's easy to gradually pour it in.  Plus, one less bowl.  You're welcome.

So sift all the dry stuff together and let it wait while you attend to the wet.  Eggs, sugar (yes, it's considered "wet") oil, vanilla all go in.  Mix until it's a nice light yellow color.  Add the zucchini and then gradually pour in the dry stuff.  Do this slowly or you will have flour nightmares for many days.  Dump in your nuts and raisins and this is what you've got:

I know, it doesn't look like much now but just you wait, 'Enry 'Iggins, just you wait.  Grease (Pam) your loaf pans and fill equally with batter.

Bake in a 325℉ oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.  You'll want to check after an hour to see if they're done.  Mr. Toothpick should come out clean.  Let them sit out on a rack until they are cooled.

Yes.  Yessss!

After cooling you can either turn them out or just leave them in the pans and cut out slices as needed.  If you want to freeze, wrap your loaf in pieces of plastic and then throw a few layers of foil around them.  They'll keep for a couple months I'd imagine.  I wouldn't know.  We inhale ours.

Oh boy.

Too good.

So, while everyone still has zucchinis coming out the wazoo, go on and make yourself some zucchini bread/cake/whatever.  You can thank me later.

Byeeeeeee!

Zucchini Bread

adapted from California Blue Ribbon Zucchini Bread

• 2 cups zucchini, grated
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together and set aside.  In mixer, beat eggs together then add in the oil, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the zucchini and mix well. Gradually add in sifted flour mixture until incorporated. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at 325°F. Toothpick inserted into the middle of each loaf should come out clean.  Place pans on wire rack until completely cool.