Chocolate Zucchini Bread

      

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I hope you understand that it is nigh on impossible to write a food blog that does not contain at least one seasonal entry for zucchini bread. Well, that time has come, and while I've done my best to disguise the zucchini, you are going to have to man-up to the fact that your chocolate cake has some green stuff in it. Actually, this is a very nice bread/cake. It comes together easily and it's guaranteed to satisfy the sweet tooth and chocolate cravings of the dessert lovers who assemble at your table. This is an almost foolproof recipe, but because the chips tend to sink to the bottom of the pan, you'll want to make sure the pan is well-greased and lined. Several years ago, following myriad tragedies that would rival those of Euripides, I started to line the bottom of all my bread and cake pans to assure the contents would release from the pans in one piece. Please follow suit, at least with this bread, because this is one that wants to stick. The recipe, which first appeared in Taste of Home magazine, is a keeper, so I hope you'll put it in your in-basket. Here is how this simple bread is made.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Grease paper. Set aside.
2) Cream  butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3) Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in another bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.
4) Spoon into prepared pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near  center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

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