While I like zucchini more than the average American, I’ve always had a distaste for zucchini bread. In the summer, zucchini seems to be a word that’s uttered with horror. Someone once told me, “where we live, you have to make sure you lock your car. Otherwise, you come back and it’s full of zucchini.” Every time i’m given a loaf of zucchini bread, I can’t help feeling like someone’s trying to unload their burden on me. It doesn’t help that zucchini bread has a tendency to be oily and excessively vegetal.
This zucchini bread recipe gets a helpful addition of carrots (for color), cinnamon, and candied ginger (for zing). Instead of candied ginger, you could substitute chopped walnuts or pecans. If you (like me) hate mincing big chunks of candied ginger, you can order small pieces from vendors like Penzey’s or King Arthur Flour. I’ve also seen discounted diced candied ginger at TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshalls. (My mom also found a 8oz bottle of Nielsen-Massey vanilla for cheap!).
Carrot-Zucchini Bread with Candied Ginger
adapted from Sur la Table’s “Eating Local”
3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup minced candied ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely grated carrots
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease two 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans, or line them with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda. Whisk in the salt and candied ginger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Add the canola oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking hard until well combined. Stir in the carrots and zucchini.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir/fold until just blended. Divide evenly between the loaf pans.
5. Bake for about 1 hour, until the loaves are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
