Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Just in case you may have missed this about me, I need to make something abundantly clear: I loathe zucchini.  Despise.  Hate.  Oh yeah, I'm using the strong ugly words today.

I remember when I was around 10 (maybe 9??), my mom cooked some zucchini and yellow squash for dinner.  My parents had this rule that we always had to eat a little bit of the foods we said we didn't like.  Since I have now learned first-hand that children's taste buds are so finicky, I completely understand why they had that rule.  I, however, already knew at my young age that I didn't like zucchini and never would like zucchini.  I sat at the dinner table for HOURS that night, refusing to eat it.  My mom didn't make zucchini and yellow squash again.

Now, despite this clearly intense abhorrence, I am trying to cook more with it.  Zucchini is full of great vitamins and minerals, and it's super cheap during it's peak season.  So I play around with it and see if I can develop a taste for it.  And if I can't, then I just sneak it into things so that it's there giving me all the healthy and cheap benefits but without actually tasting it.

This is one of the Sneaky Recipes that has me begging friends for their surplus garden zucchinis.  I. Love. This. Bread!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Recipe adapted from JoyofBaking.com

3 cups shredded raw zucchini
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (not Dutch-processed)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Set aside. 

2.  Grate the zucchini, using a medium sized grater or food processor (I highly recommend the FP; saves SO MUCH TIME, especially if you have a large zucchini). Set aside. 

Hello Zucchini.  Prepare to be shredded.

 
3.  In a large bowl whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Set aside. 

This looks like hot cocoa mix.

4.  In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Fold in the grated zucchini. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips. 

What once was yucky is about to become major YUMMY

5.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the breads from the pans and cool completely. 

Moist, rich, glorious

Some days I'm not sure if this is really a bread, because it feels like I'm eating a decadent cake!  And it certainly doesn't taste like anything healthy, yet I manage to use a TON of shredded zucchini, whole wheat flour, applesauce, and only a little heart-healthy canola oil.  Excellent!

Oh, and feel free to have fun when it comes to the add-ins.  This bread would be great with some chopped nuts in it.  And I have been known to use my current favorite chip, milk chocolate and peanut butter swirl, in place of the semi-sweet.  What would you put into this bread?