M is for Money

(Makes Two Loaves – One for now, one for later)

If you’ve ever planted zucchini then you know that they can produce more in one summer than you’ll eat in a lifetime. I developed this recipe as a way to use up extra zucchini once we had tired of it as a side dish. There are a number of substitutions you can make to this recipe, depending on what you have in the cupboard. You could use margarine or vegetable oil for the butter and vice versa, whatever nuts you have on hand (maybe not peanuts) or omit them if you prefer. I’ve done different spice combinations, but classic cinnamon seems the best. Also, check out the frugal recipe collection Ashley has gathered at Wide Open Wallet.

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup melted butter
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. citrus zest (I love half orange, half lemon)

3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups shredded zucchini (2-3 medium)
1 cup candied walnuts (recipe below)

Candied Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
2 tbsp. melted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. flour

Directions:

Instructions for the Candied Walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, the candied walnuts should be made first or ahead of time. Chop the walnuts, the pieces should be small to medium size. Put the chopped walnuts in a small bowl and pour the melted butter over them. Toss with a spoon to coat the walnuts evenly with butter, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly before spreading the walnuts in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, take out of the oven and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Instructions for the Zucchini Bread

Keep or preheat the oven to 350° . Take two loaf pans (8x4 or 9x5 will work) and either line them with parchment or spray with a non-stick spray. Wash and trim your zucchini, do not peel them. Use a box grater or a food processor to shred your zukes. Set the zucchini aside for a minute. In a large bowl combine the 3 eggs, both sugars, the melted butter and the vegetable oil - mix for one to two minutes so the sugar will start to break down. Then stir in the vanilla and the citrus zest. The zest should be measured loosely piled, not tightly packed in the measuring spoon. A fine grater will work in place of a zester.

In a small bowl sift together your flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon and salt. A few tips: Remember to measure your flour loosely piled and then leveled with a knife, scooping or packing the flour down will mean a dry loaf. This is a quick bread, which require a light touch and minimal mixing once the flour meets the wet ingredients. Grab a spatula, it’s the perfect tool for folding in the zucchini and walnuts.

Add 1/3 of the flour combination to the egg/butter/sugar mixture and stir gently with a large spoon a few times, add another third and stir briefly before adding the final third. Stir a few more times, the flour should be mostly incorporated but not completely mixed. Grab the spatula and your zucchini, you are going to carefully fold your zucchini into the batter. Before the zucchini is fully mixed in grab your walnuts and fold them in last. Fold a few times, scraping the bowl, until the batter is mostly uniform and there is no more visible flour. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, rotate once halfway through. As always, check a little early just in case the oven is running hot. You can use the toothpick test to check for doneness. Cool the bread for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Don’t leave them in the pans or the bottoms will get soggy. Wrapped up tightly they keep well in the freezer, so you can eat one now and save one for later!