Zucchini Bread

Tomorrow is National Zucchini Day. I'm gonna consider it Zucchini Week though, because I got two zucchinis from my aunt today and one of them is enormous. I have TONS of zucchini recipes. I wish I could make them all, but I just don't have the time...or the zucchini.

When I was leaving my aunts from picking up my produce supply (a summer squash and two cucumbers too!), my uncle asked me to send her a recipe for zucchini bread if I had one. I knew I had a pretty simple one saved somewhere, so I sent her the recipe. Then, as I reread the recipe for the fourth time, I realized that I had all of the ingredients...and the motivation. The one ingredient I didn't have that the original recipe called for was all spice, but all spice is essentially cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The recipe already called for each of those, so I just added in a heaping amount of each spice that the recipe called for.

Let me tell you, this bread smells phenomenal while it's baking! I don't think I've ever made bread before. I'm pretty sure I must have in 7th grade home ec, but not in my adult life. I have a fear (or moreso lack of skills) to work with dough. I fail with pizza dough and whenever I see a bread recipe I just kind of shy away from it...same thing with homemade pie crusts. I need to take a baking class.

The bread is delicious! I've only eaten a small piece off the end, but the cinnamon and spices are strong enough without the use of the all spice. It's also nice and moist from the zucchini.

Zucchini Bread
adapted from Kitchen Runway

2 cups grated zucchini (could be about 3 small to medium zucchinis)
2 cups flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp all spice (I didn't use any)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 10-inch loaf pan.Wipe up any excess oil and flour the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
3. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon (or on the "stir" setting on an electric mixer). If mixing by hand, it may be tough, don't worry!
4. Add in the grated zucchini. The moisture from the zucchini will make the mixture easier to stir.
5. Mix until combined and pour into prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let the loaf stand for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.