Chocolate Zucchini Bread

There are two things that we grow in our garden that I love to bake with. One is pumpkin and the other is zucchini. I mostly loved to make chocolate zucchini cake and zucchini bread with the zucchini, until a couple years ago, when my mom found a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread. I now love to make it just as much as my orginal favorites!

I usually do baking with my garden goodies when they are in season, but I happened to freeze a couple bags of shredded zucchini this past summer. I'd say that I froze it because I wanted to be able to enjoy some of my summer baked goods year round, but the truth is I couldn't keep up with eating my zucchini and I didn't want it to go to waste. (I had zucchini coming so quick that even after giving it to friends and family, I started putting it next to the road with a "FREE" sign!)

Anyway, I was in the mood for some of that delicious chocolate zucchini bread the other day, so I pulled a bag of frozen zucchini out of the freezer and whipped up a batch. The recipe happens to make 2 loaves of bread, which I also love! I usually keep one out to eat fresh, then freeze the other so we can enjoy it later. It works out really well! We don't get sick of eating chocolate zucchini bread from there being an abundance and we can have it later on without the work of making it all over again!

Okay-that intro turned out a lot longer than I expected! Here is the recipe (finally). :-)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine eggs, oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini. Combine dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture and mix well. Pour into 2 greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I also add about 1/4 cup chocolate chips to the top. Extra yummy! :-)