Culinary Institute of America's Zucchini Bread ... with a slight change

They're back! The bumper crop of zucchini is starting to make itself a bit of a nuisance in the grey cottage. I warned Silent Bob not to bring a zucchini bigger than a honker Havana cigar into the kitchen, but he ignored me. It's almost like he needs to show off how productive his hill of squash is being. I have begun giving it away and baking with it, but it's still difficult to stay ahead of the deluge!

I happened upon a different recipe for zucchini bread when I was leafing through the cookbook, Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, and bookmarked it. I knew it would come in handy. This weekend SB and I have family coming into town for a Saturday morning blueberry picking junket up Gap Mountain and I am responsible for putting on a picnic luncheon, so these two loaves will  be warmed and served with whipped cream for dessert. Easy and hey, two more zucchini bite the dust!

The only change that I made to this recipe was to add the orange juice element to the batter. I like the idea that the oil is dramatically reduced from any other recipe for zucchini bread that I've seen, but I like a moist bread, so a bit more moisture seemed in order. Since there is orange zest in the batter, orange juice seemed logical. I may even flavour the whipped cream with a bit of zest and orange juice too when I serve it to the folks!

CIA’s Zucchini Bread

slightly adapted by The Spice Garden

Ingredients:

3½ c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
2½ c. grated unpeeled zucchini
1 c. sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
½ c. canola oil
¼ c. orange juice
2 tbsp. orange or lemon zest
1c. coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted and cooled

Making the Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch loaf pans.

2. Toast the walnuts in a non-stick skillet and pour into a bowl to cool.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl and set aside.

4. Place the eggs in the bottom of a deep bowl and beat lightly.

5. Add the sugar and oil and mix well.

6. Add the grated zucchini, the orange juice, the citrus zest and beat to break up the zucchini and incorporate all the ingredients.

7. Turn the flour into the wet ingredients and beat just until the flour is absorbed and incorporated.

8. Fold in the walnuts.

9. Divide the batter evenly between the loaf pans and bake for 50 - 55 minutes.

10. Remove when the cake tester comes clean. Cool in the pans for ten minutes and then turn the loaves out onto racks to finish cooling.

11. Wrap tightly and bag in plastic to freeze or serve warmed with butter pats or cream cheese (for tea or breakfast fare) or whipped cream (for dessert fare).

12. Enjoy!