More zucchini! Zucchini banana bread this time.

                                                                           

If you follow my blog, or know me well, you know that I rarely make a recipe exactly as it's written. I always have to mess with it.  Leave something out, add something.  Sometimes I don't even use a recipe, I just throw things together using instinct.  However, the one thing I usually never mess with is baking.  I usually follow the directions exactly, especially when it comes to things like leavening, and liquid amounts.  Today I threw caution to the wind.  I found this very large zucchini lurking under a leaf in my garden.  It was approaching baseball bat size.  The only thing zucchini that big are good for is zucchini bread.  I cut it up, took out the seeds, grated it and still ended up with seven cups of zucchini.  So now, while I'm fussing around in the kitchen, I also find a banana that is past its prime.  Hey, why not combine the zucchini and  banana? How bad can this be?  But as I look up my recipe, I realize that the banana will add lots more moisture to the mix, so I start experimenting.  Here is what I came up with.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 ripe banana mashed
2  cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup oil ( I used coconut, but vegetable oil is fine)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon alspice
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9" by 5" loaf pan.  I spray the pan with cooking spray, then layer with parchment that hangs over the edge.  I then spray the parchment.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Since I used my food processor to grate the zucchini, I used it to combine my wet ingredients.  I transferred the grated zucchini to another bowl and added the egg, banana, oil and sugars to the food processor.  After a few pulses, I added this mixture to the dry ingredients and folded them together.  I then added the zucchini and nuts and mixed thoroughly.

Pour into loaf pan and bang on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.  Bake in the center of the oven for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Then continue to cool before slicing or it will crumble when you slice it.  Enjoy!  Everyone loved this and I'm sure you will too!

Please feel free to share this recipe, and the whole blog for that matter, with your friends.  Leave questions and comments in the comment section below the post.

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie