Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Don't you just love zucchini bread?   We certainly do.  Since it's prime zucchini season here in VA (and because I was given a gargantuan zucchini on steroids), I thought I'd share a week's worth of zucchini bread recipes in hopes of inspiring you to bake some zucchini bread for your friends and family. 

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Feeling inspired yet?

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• professional loaf pan https://amzn.to/3o5wjzw

• the best vanilla extract https://amzn.to/2OOUaAj

• valrhona cocoa powder https://amzn.to/2OdrsIa

• guittard chocolate chips https://amzn.to/3rURKUT

• parchment paper https://amzn.to/3o6B7Vf

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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

makes one 8x4-inch loaf

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa, sifted

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 2 cups shredded zucchini

• 1 cup chocolate chips (plus 1/4 cup for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan with a parchment sling (important so you don't get melted chocolate all over your hands and mar the appearance of the finished loaf when you remove it from the pan).

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, sugar, honey, oil, zucchini, and 1 cup of chocolate chips, stirring until evenly combined.

5. Stir in reserved dry ingredients and pour into prepared loaf pan.

6. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips evenly over batter.

7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool for 10-15 minutes before lifting bread out of loaf pan using the parchment sling.

9. Cool completely before serving.

10. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature.

Claussen Dill Pickle Clone

I'm not sure if this recipe is actually a clone of Claussen Pickles, but we sure do love the crisp garlicky crunch these pickles provide.  Whether layered on a sandwich or eaten straight from the jar, they're pretty fantastic and so incredibly easy to make yourself.  I should mention the recipe makes a ton, but you can scale it down easily.  

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Start with washed unwaxed cucumbers. This variety of organic cukes were in my last CSA delivery. Aren't they beautiful?

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Slice the cucumbers however you like them - you can make spears or slices. We like kind of thickish slices so I use a mandolin which makes quick work of it and all the slices end up being exactly the same thickness.

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Boil the ingredients for the pickle brine. A note about mustard and dill seeds - the most inexpensive place I've found them is at my local Hispanic grocery store. I got a large bag of each for less than $3. Also check out Asian and Indian markets.

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Allow the brine to cool, then pour over the cucumbers and close the jar. Let them sit at room temperature for 3 days, shaking the jar every once in a while, then store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• mandolin slicer https://amzn.to/2Y2aKRB

• large pickle jar https://amzn.to/2W2aGQ0

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Claussen Dill Pickle Clone

Printable Recipe

Items Needed

• 1 gallon jar with lid (or 4 quart-size jars)

• 12 five-inch long unwaxed pickling cucumbers, washed and cut 1/4-inch thick

• pickle brine (below)

Pickle Brine:

• 1/3 cup minced dried onion

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds (yellow or brown)

• 6 tablespoons dill seeds (or 6 heads of fresh dill)

• 8 cups water

• 1 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar

• 1/2 cup Kosher salt

Directions

1. Place pickles (and fresh dill if using) into clean jar.

2. Bring the pickle brine ingredients to a boil in a large stainless steel pot; stirring until salt dissolves.

3. Allow liquid to cool, then pour over pickles.

4. Place lid on jar and allow to sit at room temperature for 3 days, turning occasionally.

5. Refrigerate pickles for up to 1 year.

Note

• English cucumbers are not recommended.