Chocolate Zucchini Nut Bread

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Cooking oil (or reduce by 1/2 and use 1/2 unsweetened apple sauce)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (to make life easy I use the prepackaged Nestles brand)
• 2 Cups Grated Zucchini
• 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (optional)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º F . 
Prepare loaf pans with baking spray or oil and flour.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl Beat eggs until light, gradually add sugar, oil and vanilla.
Stir in melted chocolate and zucchini.
Gradually add dry ingredients stirring well after each addition until just blended.
Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Divide batter between two greased and floured  9x5 loaf pans.
Bake at 350º for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes. Check for toothpick to come out clean.  
Makes 2 loaves.

Zucchini Bread

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

In medium bowl mix first 6 (dry) ingredients. Set aside. Shred zucchini. Beat together sugar, zucchini and egg. Add oil. Stir in flower mixture by hand. Fold in chopped nuts and raisins if using them. Turn into greased and floured loaf pan or two prepared mini loaf pans. Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen and remove from pan. Cool completely.

Banana Bread

I love to make these in the mini tins and freeze for future use. They make a perfect addition to any picnic, camping trip, or quick snack. Warm and spread with butter or cream cheese for a delightful addition to morning coffee. Add chocolate or butterscotch chips to the mix, top with a dollop of whip cream and you’ve got a quick dessert. So many things you can do with one basic recipe. Experiment! 

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
  
• 1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup shortening
• ²⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 or 4 very ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 cups optional ingredients mixed or not: 1 cup chopped nuts , 1 cup raisins or craisins, 1 cup dates, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips . Use your imagination.

In small bowl sift together first six ingredients. In large bowl cream shortening with sugar. Add bananas. When mashed with shortening mix, add eggs one at a time, then milk. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix by hand just until combined. Add optional ingredients and mix only until well distributed. Pour batter into well greased loaf pan or divide batter between 4 , well greased, mini loaf tins filling each about 1/2 way. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for about 1 hour (45 minutes if using mini pans). Check with toothpick inserted in center. If it comes out clean they are done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Dump from pan and cool on rack. Serve warm or freeze. Once completely cool wrap in freezer wrap. It will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.

Monkey Bread

• 3 can's Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Dough (Pillsbury) (or standard buttermilk biscuits)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease a bundt pan well or spray with Baking spray. Combine cinnamon and sugar in 1 quart plastic bag. Open cans of dough. Cut each dough section in half and roll each piece into a ball. Place several at a time into bag of cinnamon sugar and toss until well coated.  Once coated drop into bottom of bundt pan. Repeat until all dough sections are used. In a small pan melt butter and brown sugar and cinnamon together stirring until sugar is dissolved (once it begins to bubble around the edges cook about 2-3 minutes). Pour over dough balls in pan.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Add 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) milk (or almond milk) by half teaspoons to frosting that comes with the dough until it's of drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over top of monkey bread before serving. Omit this step or make your own drizzle if using buttermilk biscuits. This is also wonderful if you drop in pecan pieces in the bottom of the bundt pan and around dough balls.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups loosely packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree (or 2 cups home made pumpkin puree)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) and/or 1 cup craisins or raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and Flour two loaf pans (or spray with baking pam) and set aside.
In large bowl whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a medium bowl add pumpkin puree, oil, apple sauce, maple syrup and water. Whisk until well blended.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a spatula fold them together until well incorporated making sure to get all the flour mixture bits off the bottom of the bowl. Fold in most of the optional ingredients reserving some to put on top of  the loaf before baking.
Divide the dough between two greased loaf pans and sprinkle with reserved optional ingredients.
Bake on center rack of the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to rack. Let cool 20 minutes before inverting bread onto a cooling rack. 

Apple Oatmeal Bread

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ pure maple syrup
• ¾ cup vanilla yogurt
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• ¼ canola oil
• 1 egg
• ¾ rolled oats
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups apples (Peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces)
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup pecans (chopped)

Mix the brown sugar, maple syrup, yogurt, apple sauce, oil, egg and rolled oats in a bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile in a small bowl mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients  along with the apples, raisins and pecans until just mixed. Spoon the mixture into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle top with a handful of rolled oats.  Bake in a preheated 375º F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 40 min.

Pumpkin Bread

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 – 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons pumpkin Pie season (or 1 tablespoon cinnamon & 1 tablespoon nutmeg)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or 1/2 cup craisins or raisins (Optional)

Grease and flour two large, three small or 8 mini loaf pans.
In a small bowl combine dry ingredients; flour, salt, spices, baking soda.
In a large bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water and eggs beating until smooth.
Add dry ingredients mixing just until combined.
Fold in optional ingredients.
Fill pans ¼ to ¾ of the way full.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. (check at 45 minutes for mini pans)
Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.

Basic Beer Bread

Cheddar - Dill Beer Bread

• 3 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder (fresh!)
• 12 ounces beer
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 375ºF.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder (**and optional ingredients)  in a large mixing bowl.
Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick.
Spread in a greased 8″ loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over the top.
Bake about 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick  stuck in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

**Don’t be afraid to flavor it up with any multitude of variations. Here are some idea’s:
Herbs:  1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh. Garlic, Rosemary, oregano, thyme,  dill, chili powder just to name a few.
Cheese: 1 cup grated sharp cheddar, crumbled feta, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago
Other options: 1/2 cup chopped scallions or onion, fresh parsley, fresh basil, sun dried tomato
Replacements: in place of 1/2 cup of the flour use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, or 1/2 cup oatmeal.

I love this recipe because it’s so versatile, quick and easy. Surely you can mix and match combination to fit with whatever you might be serving it up with.  I dig the garlic, dill, cheddar cheese version the most. Sometimes I add chili powder and bacon or infuse the melted butter with garlic before pouring it over the bread. It always comes out delicious!

Blueberry Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 2/3 cups Milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Grease and flour bread pan; set aside
In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, combine beaten egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
Pour liquid ingredients into well of dry ingredients.
Stir just until the batter is mixed.
Fold in lemon peel, blueberries, and pecans. dump into loaf pan.
Bake for 60 – 75 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan. Dump once cool.
Wrap and store overnight in refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.