Thursday, September 3, 2009

blueberry zucchini bread delish!

remember how i said i had some yummy recipes to share? well, this is one of them! we used some of the glorious blueberries we picked & some of our always lovely zucchini from the garden. and did i tell ya we let 6 zucchini plants live this year? yeah, i don't know what that was about.

i'm not sure that a picture can do this one justice...this bread is so worth tasting, even for someone like me who really thinks that the ole run-of-the-mill "zucchini bread" is pretty lame.

well, it's these blueberries i tell ya... they are nearly to die for. this year's pick are the best i think i've ever had. the size of quarters people - quarters! and so sweet.

see, i always pick blueberries because my guys love em & i like to bake with them, but i don't necessarily want to eat blueberries. they just give a little boost to my pancakes & muffins. but this recipe's different. those little babies are like the piece de resistance. *and if you're wondering, i spelled that right, cause i looked it up just in case. right on the first try... i'm feeling lucky tonight!


and for fear that this bread wouldn't be quite good enough "as is", i even improvised a crumb topping just in case.

oh man, even though i just ate a candy bar, the thought of this stuff is making me hungry!

ah well...here's the recipe:

blueberry zucchini bread

3 eggs
1 c. oil (or 1/2 c. oil, 1/2 c. applesauce like i did)
3 tsp. vanilla (love that r e a l vanilla!)
1 1/2- 1 3/4 c. sugar
2 c. shredded zucchini (or chop with a pampered chef chopper like mine)
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. cinnamon (yes Tbs.)
1 pint fresh blueberries (but frozen works just fine too)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease (spray) 2 regular loaf pans.
in large bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla & sugar. fold in zucchini.
beat in dry ingredients. fold in blueberries.
pour into baking pans.

crumb topping: (which is optional, but i wouldn't leave it out if i were you!)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. chilled butter (don't let it get too soft)

blend together with pastry blender (you can use a fork, but why?)
sprinkle topping over batter.
bake 50-60 mins. or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
cool 5 mins. on wire rack, 10 mins. tops or it things will not turn out well!

*my secret tip to getting quick breads to come out of the pan clean without leaving some bread in the bottom of the pan:

after cooling 5-10 mins. on wire rack, holding the pan with oven mitts/hot pads (of course), hold the pan by the end, almost vertical (one end in your hand, your other hand over the bread itself to keep it from falling out of the pan, which it probably wouldn't anyway, but you never know...) and bang the end you're not holding a couple of times hard & quick on the edge of the countertop, island, etc. then gently tip it over & let the bread easily peel itself out of the pan. that's it. try it. it works.

so go ahead...try this bread.

i don't care who you are, you're gonna love it!

 
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