Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Origin: American from what I'v been able to find...

Delicious bread that is chocolaty (I was skeptical too) and flaky. Tastes a lot like cake, but the flavors mold together really well creating this "not too sweet," exciting bread that is easy to keep eating.

Makes: 1 loaf

Takes about: 2 hours

Difficulty: 1.5 out of 5

Prep:

Grease a 9 inch by 5 inch bread pan and preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Ingredients:

2 cups zucchini - grated

1 cup flour

1/2 cup powdered cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar - packed

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/4 cup canola, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 - 3 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate - chopped

1 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate - chopped

Instructions:

- Step 1 - Grate the Zucchini

Using the large side of a grater grate 2 cups of zucchini, including the skin, into a medium bowl.

- Step 2 - Dry the Zucchini

After you have grated 2 cups of zucchini place a few sheets of paper towels onto the counter and evenly spread the shredded zucchini out onto the paper towels.

A zucchini holds a ton of liquid that you don't want added into your bread, so the goal here is to take some of this liquid out.

Dry the shredded zucchini until our paper towels do not become drenched with zucchini juice every time you pat the zucchini.

Some liquid is okay and necessary though.

Once your zucchini has been dried place it back into the bowl and set off to the side until needed later.

- Step 3 - Mix the Dry Ingredients

In another medium bowl add in 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of powdered cocoa, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until well blended.

Once blended, set aside until needed.

- Step 4 - Mix Eggs

In a large bowl mix 2 large eggs until well mixed.

- Step 5 - Mix in Sugar

Once your eggs are blended add in 3/4 cup of brown sugar and mix until combined.

- Step 6 - Mix in Butter and Oil

Melt the 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a small sauce pan.

As the butter is melting add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil into the eggs and brown sugar. Once the butter has melted add just a splash of the butter to the egg mixture and mix quickly and well to temper the eggs. Once the egg mixture has been introduced to the butter add the rest of the melted butter and mix well.

Tempering is when you are adding a hot mixture to eggs. When doing this you are risking cooking the eggs if you add the hot substance too quickly. So, the goal here is to add just a splash of the hot liquid so that your eggs get used to taking a hot bath and then you can add the rest of the hot liquid with ease.

- Step 7 - Mix in Vanilla

Once the butter and oil has been well incorporated to the egg mixture add the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

- Step 8 - Add in Powder Slowly

Mix in the dried ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly.

I added in the powder ingredients a third at a time to 1. not make a mess and 2. know when my batter is getting a little dryer I can tell, (not a bad thing in this recipe due to wet zucchini).

The batter might be a little dry and think, but like I expressed above, this is okay.

- Step 9 - Mix in the Grated Zucchini

Dump the shredded zucchini into the chocolate batter and mix in with a wooden spoon.

You want to be delicate because you want to keep your zucchini as the grated bits and not turn them into mush by mixing too hard.

Once the zucchini is mixed into the chocolate batter set the bowl aside.

- Step 10 - Mix in Chocolate

Chop 2 - 3 oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate into pieces. (You can decided if you would like the bread to be more chocolaty or less chocolaty by adding in more or less.)

I cut my chocolate into thin bark like pieces, so that there would be large pieces of chocolate as a surprise throughout my bread.

- Step 11 - Mix in Chopped Chocolate into the Zucchini Mixture

Place the chopped chocolate into the bowl with the zucchini mixture and mix until just blended.

Don't over mix because you want your chocolate to still be in chunks.

- Step 12 - Spoon Batter into Bread Pan

Spoon the batter into the bread pan and spread it out evenly.

- Step 13 - Sprinkle Chocolate On Top

Chop another 1 oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate and sprinkle atop the batter that has just been spooned into the bread pan.

- Step 14 - Bake

Bake the zucchini bread in the over for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean when you poke it in the middle.

- Step 15 - Cool

Let the bread cool in the bread pan for at least 15-20 minutes and then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

- Step 16 - Enjoy Ever Single Slice

You are welcome to eat this loaf while it is still warm or you can eat it cold. Either way, it is delicious.

Found this recipe on "Two Peas and Their Pod." Used their recipe almost exactly, but changed a few things and a few instructions as well.