Banana Bread (and other quick breads)

[Sarah051504]

A co-worker gave my DH a bunch of zucchini yesterday and I had bought some at the farmer's market so now I have tons! I thought I would make some zucchini bread. Looking through my cookbooks I really didn't find a recipe that sounded good.

Please share your to die for zucchini bread recipes!

[meganth]

I usually use this recipe to make zucchini muffins, but it's originally a bread recipe.

Zucchini Bread Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: 2 loaves

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.



When i make this recipe, i omit the nuts and instead of 2 cups zucchini i use 3 cups and less water. It makes the muffins/bread so moist!

[SweetRed]

I used to hate zucchini as a child, but I LOVED my mother's zucchini bread!

Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 full-sized loaves

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinammon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla. Beat well.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Yum! :D

~ Kay

[tinkerbelljenny]

Mine is pretty similar to the ones posted but here it is:
Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for an hour.
(1 cup whole wheat flour can be substituted for one of the three cups of all -purpose flour). Also, to make chocolate zucchini bread, I just add unsweetened cocoa.

[Rosebud]

A couple of other recipes you might want to try. The lemon cuts the sweetness of the zucchini a bit, giving it a lighter, "summery" flavor. And I also included the "Cooking Light" recipe for a lower-cal but delicious version.


Lemon Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

(from allrecipes.com)


Cooking Light magazine's Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place zucchini on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towel. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Set aside.
Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through baking powder) in a large bowl, and stir well; make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, applesauce, egg substitute, oil, and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter evenly between 2 (71/2 x 3-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

[myshel]

I just finished putting together a loaf of banana bread and thought it might be fun to have others post their tried and true recipes. So, if you have a recipe for banana bread (or any other quick bread), go ahead and post them here.

[TracieB]

Mmm!!! I have a great recipe for beer bread, but it's at home. I'll post it tomorrow!

[MsRo]

Mmm, banana bread. Of course I just threw out my nasty black 'naners. I could have used the idea earlier today. :)

[Medako]

Apple Nut Bread
2 c. sugar
1 c. veg. oil
3 eggs
3 c. diced tart apples (Grannysmith)
1 c. chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients. Add liquids and eggs. Stir in apples.

Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan (or 2 loaf pans) at 350 f for 45-50 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).



Banana Nut Bread
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 bananas, mashed
3 T. sour milk (milk w/lemon juice)
1/2 c. chopped nuts
cinnamon
nutmeg

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs. Add bananas. Add dry ingreients, then nuts.

Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan at 350 F for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

[lawyerlee]

My favorite is the pumpkin bread my mom makes. Mmmmmm, good! :D

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

[Gatsby]

This is my favorite quick bread. I always send half to DH's office and they beg for more!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3/4 Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Large Egss
1 Cup Applesauce
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
1 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Finely Shredded Zucchini
1/2 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Cooking Spray


Preheat oven to 350.

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating until just moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about one hour.

16 slices.
Each slice has 161 calories and 5g of fat.

[LILRTL]

*bump* Would love some more banana bread recipes!! :)

[Ericka_Jarett]

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup butter or margarine
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons soda
* 4 cups flour
* 6 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
* 1 cup finely chopped pecans

PREPARATION:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture. Stir in bananas and chopped pecans.

Pour banana nut bread batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans; bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

[silvergrey]

Thanks for bumping...I'm going to go buy the ingredients for that zucchini bread today!

Cooking Light's banana bread is yummy.

Mom's Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light butter, softened
1 2/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites; beat well, and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beating until blended.

Spoon batter into 4 (5 x 2 1/2-inch) miniature loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Let cool completely on wire racks.

Note: To make one 9-inch loaf, spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 350º for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Yield: 1 loaf, 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice). 147 calories per serving

[Rosebud]

Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Bread

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/survivor/bread.jpg

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated meyer lemon zest
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup dried blueberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 8x4 inch loaf pan.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, oil and egg in small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

Stir blueberries into dry ingredients to coat. Add lemon mixture to dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.
By the way - this bread gets even more moist and lemony the next day if you wrap it well once it's cooled. Don't make yourself wait, though. Cut a slice and then wrap it up.

Bill's Coconut Bread

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/survivor/coconut.jpg

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup and a bit castor sugar (also known as "superfine" sugar) *
2 cups shredded coconut
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.

Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Stir in sugar and coconut. Make a well in the center and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just combined.

Add butter and stir until just smooth, being careful not to overmix. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

* If you don’t have any castor sugar on hand, you can make your own by grinding granulated sugar for a couple of minutes in a food processor (this also produces sugar dust, so let it settle for a few moments before opening the food processor).

Chocolate Banana Bread

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/survivor/choc.jpg

1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup lite sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

[silvergrey]

This is my favorite quick bread. I always send half to DH's office and they beg for more!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

¾ Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Large Egss
1 Cup Applesauce
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
1 ¼ Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ Tsp Salt
1 ½ Cups Finely Shredded Zucchini
½ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Cooking Spray


Preheat oven to 350.

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating until just moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about one hour.

16 slices.
Each slice has 161 calories and 5g of fat.


This zucchini bread is soooo good! And actually healthier than my old recipe, which calls for like a cup of oil.

[jenji]

My 3 favorites!

Banana Bread
1/2c. butter flavored shortening
1c. sugar
2 eggs
1c. mashed bananas (~2 bananas)
1t. lemon juice
2c. flour
3t baking powder
1/2t. salt
1c. chopped nuts (optional - I never use nuts)

cream shortening and sugar together. beat eggs and add. blend in bananas and lemon juice. sift dry ingredients together, then add quickly to banana mixture. Add nuts (if using)
Bake in a greased loaf pan at 375 for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
*just a side note, I usually grease, then sugar the pan so the crust of the bread has a sweetness to it.


Applesauce Bread
1c. sugar
1/2c. butter
2T baking soda
1 1/2c. applesauce
1t. cinnamon
1t. cloves
2 1/4c. flour
1c. raisins (optional - I don't usually use them)

cream together butter and sugar. disolve baking soda in applesauce, then add to butter and sugar. sift remaining dry ingredients together, then add to apple-butter mixture. stir in raisins (if using)
Bake at 350 in a greased loaf pan for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean



Pumpkin Bread
1c. sugar
1/2c. buttermilk (or regular milk with a little lemon juice in it)
1 egg
1c. canned pumpkin
2T softened butter
1 1/2c. flour
1 1/4t. baking soda
1t. salt
1t. cinnamon
1/2t. nutmeg

mix together first 4 ingredients. sift dry ingredients together. add butter and dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended.
Bake at 350 in greased loaf pan for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean

[jesvet]

Gatsby- I tried the zucchini bread recipe and it was SOOOOO great! It fooled my husband and my two year old, they had no idea it was so healthy. :D

P.S. I used egg beaters in place of the eggs, and Splenda for baking (which cut the sugar in half) and you'd never know.

[sublime311]

Seeking more tried and true banana bread recipes.

[TOMama]

This banana bread is sooooooo good. Something to do with the sour cream just makes it melt in your mouth. I've made muffins & bread with this recipe and both came out great--

Banana Sour Cream Bread (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Sour-Cream-Bread/Detail.aspx)

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

[Rosebud]

This is my Mom's banana bread recipe. I make it all the time-- easy and delicious. It uses more bananas than some recipes, so it has great banana flavor and gooeyness. The really important thing is to NOT beat it-- I only mix with a fork, not a whisk. If you overmix the banana it doesn't taste nearly as good.

Rosebud's Mom's Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

3 very ripe bananas, peeled
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. water
2 cups flour, sifted
Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Blend in the sugar, salt and a beaten egg. Melt butter and stir into banana mixture. Dissolve soda and water and add to the bowl with sifted flour. Mix. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

(you can also mix in walnuts if you like)

[Rosebud]

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 orange-juice and grated rind
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp melted shortening in cup– Add boiling water to make 3/4 cup of liquid
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.


APPLE NUT BREAD

1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 1/3 cups applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine carrots, applesauce, oil, and vanilla. Add eggs and sugar and mix together. In another bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into applesauce mixture until blended. Do not over mix. Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until done.

[sublime311]

This is my Mom's banana bread recipe. I make it all the time-- easy and delicious. It uses more bananas than some recipes, so it has great banana flavor and gooeyness. The really important thing is to NOT beat it-- I only mix with a fork, not a whisk. If you overmix the banana it doesn't taste nearly as good.

Rosebud's Mom's Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

3 very ripe bananas, peeled
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. water
2 cups flour, sifted
Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Blend in the sugar, salt and a beaten egg. Melt butter and stir into banana mixture. Dissolve soda and water and add to the bowl with sifted flour. Mix. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

(you can also mix in walnuts if you like)


This sounds like just what I'm looking for! Nice and easy! Thanks!!

[TracieB]

I have a really good and easy beer bread recipe (courtesy of William and Sonoma ;) :p) that goes well with hearty stews and soups. I usually make it to go along with vegetarian chili.

Beer Batter Bread - Williams and Sonoma Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar (I've used dark before and it's turned out okay)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bottle beer, unopened and at room temperature (I've made it with Hornsby's cider, and Samuel Adams and both have turned out excellent! Also, they were cold, not room temp, and didn't affect it)
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus extra for greasing and serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Open the beer and add it all at once; it will foam up. Stir briskly until just combined, about 20 strokes. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour into the prepared pan and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake until the top is crusty and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temp. the day it is made (although it still tastes good 1-2 days later). Cut into thick slices and accompany with plenty of butter.

YUM! :D

[malala]

Does any of you have a sugar free banana bread recipe? TIA

[Rosebud]

Saw this on a food blog (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/my-special-zucchini-bread-recipe-recipe.html) and thought it sounded great:

My Special Zucchini Bread Recipe

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/Misc/zucchini.jpg

A time-saving tip: if you have a food processor with the grating attachment, use it to shred the zucchini. It will perfectly shred three zucchini in about five seconds. On the flour front, this recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour, it lends a nice, tender crumb to the zucchini bread - feel free to swap in unbleached all-purpose flour if it is more convenient or happens to be your flour of choice. Also, this recipe calls for curry powder, I also did a delicious version with a Raz el Hanout spice blend from one of my favorite local spice blend producers, highly recommended! Just swap in 1 tablespoon of the Raz el Hanout in place of the curry powder.

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, plus a few to sprinkle on top
1/3 cup poppy seeds (optional)
zest of two lemons (optional)
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium), skins on, squeeze some of the moisture out and then fluff it up again before using

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)

Special equipment: two 1 pound loaf pans (5 x 9 inches)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter the two loaf pans, dust them with a bit of flour and set aside. Alternately, you can line the pans with a sheet of parchment. If you leave a couple inches hanging over the pan, it makes for easy removal after baking. Just grab the parchment "handles" and lift the zucchini bread right out.

In a small bowl combine the walnuts, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and ginger. Set aside.

In a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (low speed if you are using a mixer).

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition.

By hand, fold in the walnut, poppy seed, lemon zest, and crystalized ginger mixture. Save a bit of this to sprinkle on the tops of the zucchini loaves before baking for a bit of texture. Avoid over mixing the batter, it should be thick and moist, not unlike a butter cream frosting.

Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Make sure it is level in the pans, by running a spatula over the top of each loaf. Bake for about 40-45 minutes on a middle oven rack. I like to under bake my zucchini bread ever so slightly to ensure it stays moist. Keep in mind it will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven as it is cooling. Remove from the oven and cool the zucchini bread in pan for about ten minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling - if you leave them in their pans, they will get sweaty and moist (not in a good way) as they cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

[Rosebud]

From Allrecipes:

Mary Anne's Moist and Nutty Carrot Loaf (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mary-Annes-Moist-and-Nutty-Carrot-Loaf/Detail.aspx)

3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 carrots
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together baking soda, salt, spices, and flour.

In a large bowl, combine ground carrots, pineapple, oil, and sugar. Mix in eggs. Blend flour mixture into carrot mixture. Mix well. Fold nuts and raisins into batter. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into bread comes out clean.