SANDRA'S VERSATILE SWEET ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE

A very versatile recipe where you can change out certain ingredients, for example: 

--*6 oz. container (Appx. 1/2 cup) Peach Yogurt 

with your favorite flavor, and/or

--*2 cups of zucchini with your favorite combo of fruit/berries 

(i.e., apple, carrot, raspberries, bananas, etc.); and/or,

--*Toasted slivered almonds to various nuts and/or the addition of 

chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, and so on...

 ~ Have fun with it, I do! ~

Prep: 15 Mins.
Bake: 1 Hr.

"I have only used half of this huge
Juneau-Alaskan-Grown
zucchini and made 16 mini
Versatile Sweet Zucchini Bread
loaves so far.
Mucho thanks to sis Nadine
and friend Kathy!"

Yields: (2 Regular Loaves, or 4 Mini)

INGREDIENTS

Wet:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
*1 (6 oz. container) Peach 99% fat-free yogurt - (Or, your flavor choice);
--I typically use what I have on hand, which was Yoplait (Appx. 1/2 cup)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry (Sifted through a sieve atop wet ingredients):
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar; plus more for dusting
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Fold-in:
*2 cups grated unpeeled Alaskan-Grown zucchini (Do not squeeze dry)
*1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
--(Place almonds in a small dry non-stick skillet over low heat,
cook while occasionally stirring until fragrant, about 10 mins.)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (not 350 degrees or else the loaves will become too dry).  Prepare loaf pans (2 regular, or 4 mini) by spraying with butter spray, and dusting each with granulated sugar (Yes, not flour); tap off excess, and set aside. Set prepared loaf pans atop a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and using a hand mixer beat on medium speed until light and foamy.  Add oil, yogurt and vanilla extract; mix on medium speed until incorporated.

Place a sieve over wet ingredients in bowl, add all dry and sift. Mix on low speed initially to begin incorporating, then on high just until moistened (Try not to over-mix).

Using a large spoon, add fold-in ingredients, until combined while scraping edges of bowl.

Spoon even amounts of batter into loaf pans, tap them on a hard surface to release air bubbles.

Bake on baking sheet for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, until a toothpick inserted in center of a loaf comes out clean.

Remove from baking sheet to rack (in loaf pans) and let cool for 30 minutes.  Remove from loaf pans and place on rack, covered with a clean kitchen towel, for 30 additional minutes, until completely cooled. ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tips: 

When grating zucchini and/or carrots, I use the food processor - fabulously quick and easy!

Store loaves tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

These sweet breads freeze extremely well if you initially wrap in plastic, then foil.  Be sure to label the top of each loaf using a permanent marker. When ready to eat, simply thaw, unwrap, and partake!

For example: I also made mini zucchini-banana loaves today using the following combo variation ('To-die-for'!!) and a tad sweeter:
--Strawberry-banana yogurt
--1 cup unpeeled shredded zucchini
--1 cup ripe mashed bananas (2 medium)
--1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
--1/4 cup raisins

Mini Sweet Zucchini-Banana Bread
(Variation)