Zucchini Bread, or Chocolate Cake...you Decide!

It all began with a zucchini, well actually 2 little ones, and a dream. A dream for Chocolate Zucchini bread! I have a recipe that I have used in the past, but have not looked at in years. I took out the book, brushed the dust off the page and began to gather ingredients and put them into the bowls. Halfway through the recipe I discover it has 3 eggs in it...yikes! Not a problem though, I have found a fabulous homemade egg replacer recipe that will work. Next 2 cups of sugar!! 2 CUPS! I had planned on sharing this with Noodleman, but not with 2 cups of sugar in them. So to the internet I go, and after a quick search I find you can replace sugar with just about anything. So I put in 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of pureed butternut squash and 1/4 cup pureed sweet potato. I bought these little bread pans, about 2 inches by 4 inches for Noodle and I used 2 with this recipe, along with a regular bread pan and a mini cupcake pan with 12 cups. I put Noodle's portion in first, and then added chocolate chips to the Daddyman and mine. I then popped them all into the oven and waited ever so impatiently for them to be done!

Daddyman is not big on change and is very picky. He is a white flour cupcake kinda guy, with no variations or substitutions. While I am a "let add this instead and see how it tastes" kinda girl. Needless to say, Noodle and I tend to eat most of my baking. After about 20 minutes the loaves and the mini muffins were done. I waited until they cooled down (really I did, hot chocolate chips burning my mouth are so not my thing), and then ate one...and then devoured another! Oh my goodness are they good. Those little pieces of "zucchini bread" taste more like a fabulous chocolate cake, and you would never know how healthy they are!

The true test was when the Daddyman came home from his bike ride. When he came in he said the house smelled amazing, but I have heard this before and then he damn near spat out what I had baked! So I told him to try one and let me know what he thought. I tried ever so hard to keep my face neutral, but was so excited. I find it challenging to bake things that are very healthy and full of variations, that other people will eat, I love a challenge!

So he ate one, and loved it! Yeah me! I can't wait to share the recipe with you, I hope you like it as much as I  do...and please feel free to make variations :)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread


Ingredients


2 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp. Dried or Fresh Orange Peel
1/2 cup Cocoa
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 cup Pureed Butternut Squash
1/4 cup Pureed Sweet Potato
1 large Zucchini grated or pureed
1/2 cup milk (I use almond or soy, but coconot would be good too)
3/4 cup Vegetable oil
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 eggs (in a small glass mix together 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 6 Tbsp. flour, and 9 Tbsp. water, as your egg replacer)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl beat eggs, oil, sugar, butternut squash, sweet potato, zucchini and vanilla with a fork. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix together Flour, Orange Peel, Cocoa, Salt, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon. Blend the Flour mixture into the Zucchini mixture, alternating with milk. Fold in chocolate chips. Grease either 2 - 12 cup muffin tins or a loaf pan. Bake loaf for 50 minutes, muffins for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy immensely!