Friday, August 23, 2013

A Delicious Revision Delight

I love real citrus flavored goodies, so when I saw this bit of lusciousness on my Facebook wall, I knew it would be the perfect treat to nibble with a cup o' joe while I revise The Second Cellar. With zucchini in abundance right now and everyone scrambling for more ways to use it, I thought I should share the recipe. Enjoy!

P. S.: You don't have to be working on a novel (writing or reading), but it helps! :-)

Zucchini Orange Bread

Orange Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
Makes 2 loaves (freezes beautifully sans glaze)

3 cups flour
2 cups zucchini
1 teaspoon salt, scant
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup applesauce, or egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/3 cup walnuts or raisins

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon zest
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans.

2. Wash and dry the zucchini. Using a box grater grate 2 cups worth and set aside.

3. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well with a whisk and make a well in the center of the mixture.

4. Wash and zest the orange. I wash it with vinegar water.

5. In another cup mix the egg substitute (or applesauce), orange zest, juice, vanilla, oil and sugar until combined. Add to the flour mixture, folding gently until combined.

6. Fold in the zucchini (and walnuts or raisins if you are using them) and split the batter between the two greased loaf pans. I line the bottom with parchment paper. If I don't have parchment paper, I use copier paper, cut to size. It works, too!

7. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and a tooth pick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

8. Prepare the glaze: Mix the remaining orange juice and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the remaining zest and stir until smooth and combined.

8. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pans. Then, run the blade of knife around the loaf to gently separate it from the sides of the pan. Invert the loaves and the bread should slide out. Place on a wire rack with a large pan or plate below it to finish cooling.

9. While the bread is still hot spoon half of the glaze onto the top of each loaf. It will almost immediately drip down the sides of the loaf. Cool completely before serving. (Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen.)