Blueberry Zucchini Bread

So there I was socializing minding my own business last week at Fat Moon Farm and Elizabeth (my dear farmer friend) mentions her first zucchini bread cook off on the farm.  WHAT?!?!?!  How did I miss this bit of information in her newsletter?  Oh, that's right, I have 3 amazing kids, a dog named Finnegan, a guinea pig named Big Papi, a husband that's wonderful...ahem, most of the time, and my day was just mayhem.   I left that farm so excited and to top it off she was having an "under 18" category as well.  I was already planning what I would do before I left the driveway and the girls would have to agree on what version they wanted to bake.  Then it came.  An email from Elizabeth.  She wanted little ole me to be one of the judges for "Bloggers Choice".  Me?  What?  Well of course I was honored and said yes!  There were two other judges there with me yesterday, Andy from My Untangled Life and Sally from How Does YOUR Garden Grow.  We needed to agree on 2 different entries, one from the "under 18" and the other from the "over 18" categories.  There were 3 breads in the kids division and about 6 or 7 in the adult division...and I am here to tell you that they were all delicious.  We ended up choosing 2 incredible breads that I will make in my very own kitchen and serve proudly.

My babies worked great as a team and made their version of this Blueberry Zucchini Bread.  It was a big hit here and at the bake off, and they won PEOPLE'S CHOICE!!!  I did have to help with a few things and I did monitor the mixing so they didn't go overboard.  I am so proud of my cherubs, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as everyone else has!

Here's What You Need:

• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Applesauce
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 ¼ cups Sugar
• 1 cup Honey (we used Big Buzz Apiary honey)
• 2 cups Zucchini, grated
• 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 ½ cups Blueberries

Preheat your oven to 325℉.  Spray two loaf pans with a non-stick spray.

Add eggs, applesauce, vanilla, sugar and honey to your mixer and combine well.  Next you'll want to incorporate the zucchini.  I've come to the realization that doing this step now helps blend it more evenly and you don't have to worry about the potential for over mixing after the flour is added in.  If you forget this step it's not a deal breaker, add it at the end (before the blueberries) and mix for 10 seconds.  Problem solved.

In a separate bowl combine your flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  This should get added in two parts to the wet ingredients and each addition should be just combined.

The blueberries get folded in to the batter then divide the batter between your loaf pans.  Bake them for 55-65 minutes until the toothpick you stick in the middle comes out clean.  I did lay a piece of tin foil over the pans after about 45 minutes so the tops didn't brown too much.  Let them cool in their pans for 15-20 minutes and then turn them out onto a cooling rack.  I suggest you give them a good bit of time to cool before you taste it...those blueberries are like molten lava when hot!  

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!

Kathi

Zucchini Bread

I had started this blog back in February as a way for my friends and family (especially my children) to have my recipes that I have cooked for them, on hand.  It seemed simple.  I wasn't expecting to have stories to go along with the food, but they sort of go hand in hand.

What I can't believe I haven't told you all is why I enjoy cooking so much.  It finally occurred to me after our most recent trip to Texas. We went in July to visit my Grandmother (my Mem) who turned 85 years old while we were there.  Let's be clear, she does not look or act like she's 85 one bit.  She is spunky and has a fire in her...and she does not take crap from anyone (sound like someone?).  She's a card shark and loves shoes.  She has a sweet Canadian accent and she also happens to be an amazing cook.  She will cook her face off for the people that she loves, and I happen to be lucky enough to be one of them.  She loves me and my little family that my husband and I have created, unconditionally.  She shows her love through her food...just like I do.  Aside from passing me her curly hair gene, she also passed the love through food gene down to me.  I adore this woman.  I adore her so much I named one of my babies after her.  She's that amazing.

Years ago when she was still living in Florida she gave me a few of her most well known recipes...I can't even mention what they are since other family members will then hound me for them.  I mean, who really wants that?  LOL!  I still have them written down on the same paper I used to document them all in her kitchen way back when.  One of those recipes was for her zucchini bread.

Having grown up with her and my Grandfather, this bread was something I had often.  Come summer time when her garden was spitting out courgettes left and right, she would make her bread and freeze it.  This was especially fantastic because I would never know when to expect it...sometimes it was for The Love Boat on Friday night, Saturday morning cartoons, after school snack.  You just never knew when she would bust out a loaf of this incredible bread.  So when we arrived in Texas this last time she had a platter of goodies and one was slices of "The" zucchini bread.  Sigh.  I told you she was wonderful.

So with all that gushing let me just tell you this...I modified her recipe.  OMG.  I can't believe I even attempted it, never mind now publish it on my blog.  I do believe once my Old Girl sees it and tries it (I'm sending her a loaf along with a sack of tomatoes, TX tomatoes are nasty according to her!) that she will love it.

Here's What You Need

• 2¼ Cups Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• ½ Cup Applesauce, unsweetened
• ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• 1½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1½ Cups Bread Flour (or AP flour)
• 1½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Cups Raw Zucchini, grated
• ½ Cup Chocolate Chips, I used Ghirardelli (optional)
• ½ Cup Walnuts, chopped (again, optional)

Preheat your oven to 350℉.  Prepare two bread pans with your vegetable spray of choice.
Combine your sugar, eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla, I use my stand mixer.  Mix your dry ingredients in a bowl and then add in 3 parts to the wet.  Remember what you have heard about over mixing once flour is added.  Just mix the wet and dry until they come together.  Stop the mixer, add the zucchini, along with the chocolate and walnuts if you decide to add them and mix for 10 seconds.  I'm telling you, it's the magic number.  Everything gets mixed yet you don't turn out bricks once it's baked.
Bake both for 50-60 minutes.  I actually check mine at 45 minutes and the color is usually good but it still needs to hang out in the oven a bit longer...I just take a large piece of aluminum foil and place it over the two pans.  This prevents it from browning on the top any longer but allows the center to continue cooking for the last few minutes.
I hope you enjoy this treat and share it with someone you love...that's what my Grandmother and I would expect.  ❤

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!

Roasted Banana Muffins

I make these muffins for my babies and every single time I am praised, hugged and the best person on the face of the earth.  Every single time.  I usually make them for breakfast but there has been the random occasion when someone has had a tough day or it's cold and rainy and they want to bake something.  I always have the ingredients on hand.  I ended up making these this morning, Mother's Day morning more specifically.  I was a complete rock star to them and I loved it.  ❤
These muffins are so easy and can even be mixed the night before and baked off in the am when you are blurry eyed trying to get breakfast ready for your family.  Just don't add the mashed bananas until the morning of.

Here's what you need

• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 cup Banana, roasted and mashed
• 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

So roasting the bananas takes no time at all.  The bananas can't be so ripe that they are spotted and brown.  If they are like that don't bother roasting them and just mash them as is.  Heat your oven to 350℉ and put your fruit on a sheet pan (cover the pan in tin foil of course!  Less mess.).  No spray, no oil.  Dry.  Roast them for 15 minutes and please don't be alarmed...they will come out black.  Let them cool before attempting to peel and mash them.  I actually roasted mine the night before, one less step in the morning.

One other fun tip for you...make your own muffin liners.  Better yet, if you have children that can trace and cut with scissors have them do it!  My friend over at 365 Days of Baking has a genius tutorial on this...and it's so easy!  Mine had such a great time doing this project!  

So for the actual muffins your oven needs to be on 350℉.

Cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy...this can take 3-5 minutes.  Don't be afraid to just set the mixer on and go do something else.  Mash the bananas or make a cocktail get the other ingredients together, whatever...just let the mixer rip.  It's the only time you can...if you do it when the flour is in you will wind up with hockey pucks for muffins.  Hockey pucks are for hockey, not eating.

Add the eggs to the butter and sugar and make sure you beat them in really well...no one likes lumps of egg in their baked goods.  Trust me.

Vanilla should go in next.  It's one of my favorite non-savory ingredients!  Incidently vanilla sugar is amazing and super easy to make you know...container full of sugar, add in two vanilla beans.  Done.

You will need a separate bowl (as you do for any type of baking) to sift in your flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Notice that my muffin liners are hanging out under a pineapple juice can, upper right?  LOL!

Once it's sifted add it to the mixer with the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in two batches.  Add half, mix until barely just blended and then stop the mixer.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then add in the second half of the dry mix.  Mix until it is JUST incorporated and then stop that mixer!  Remember I talked about the hockey pucks?

Now most people say you should fold in the next two ingredients...I say peshaw!  Add in those bananas, roasted or not, and turn the mixer on low for 10 SECONDS.  No more...no less.

I usually add a Tablespoon or 2 of AP flour to the chocolate chips, it helps them not to sink to the bottom of your muffins. Coat them in the flour then add them to the batter.

Now feel free to fold in the chocolate chips.  Again, unless you have an ice rink in your backyard and need to teach your kids about hat tricks etc just go easy.  I'm not joking.

Fill your muffin tins 2/3 full and bake them for 12-18 minutes.

You are looking for a nice brown top here.  

And be prepared...your kitchen will smell amazing!

I have always used white flour for this recipe but if anyone does try it with whole wheat or half white and half whole wheat please let me know how it turns out in the comments below!  

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!