Zucchini Bread

Here's a whole wheat recipe that EVERYONE loves. Those who don't like it keep their mouths shut. We are baking this up A TON because our zucchini plants in the garden are growing like monsters. It's super easy and can be adapted to your taste.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
3 c. whole wheat flour (soft white wheat that we grind ourselves - if you buy whole wheat flour from a regular grocery store you are probably getting hard red wheat. This will be heavier so you might want to mix it partially with gross white flour :).
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon - I add nutmeg too.
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
2 eggs
1 c. cooking oil (we always opt for the healthier canola or sunflower oils NEVER corn or vegetable oil, but that's me)
2 t. vanilla
2 c. shredded raw zucchini
Nuts (optional - I love pecans or walnuts)
Raisins (Optional - we don't like fruit in our bread so we never put it in)

Instructions:
Combine sugar, whole wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, and baking powder. Add eggs, cooking oil, vanilla, and zucchini and mix well. Add nuts and raisins and blend again. Pour into 2 greased (I never flour them even though the recipe says to - I just spray them with Pam) loaf pans - 4 1/2 x8 inch size. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

How I do it: Put wet ingredients in Bosch mixer and swirl around. Add all the teaspoon stuff so it gets mixed in well, then sugar, zucchini, and gradually flour. The recipe isn't that fussy. I've also been known to sub out part of the whole wheat flour for flax seed flour (we grind that ourselves too in a little coffee grinder). Sometimes I toss a few Tablespoons of powdered milk in too - that has to add a bit of calcium and protein. It also helps sweeten the top.

I also meant to mention that I always double the batch - four loaves at a time. Why run the oven again next week when the bread freezes like a dream. Comes out perfectly moist.

There you have it. The not-so-secret perfect zucchini bread recipe!