Goldilocks and the Zucchini Bread

If you have zucchini in your garden, you're sure to have a number of zucchini bread recipes. I personally have about 10 that I've found over time and there's not one that I've found that's exactly right. Some are too dry, some are too moist, some are too sugary, some aren't sugary enough. I'm like Goldilocks looking for that perfect bed, only I'm in search of the perfect zucchini bread recipe. I never thought I'd find it - until this weekend when I ran across a recipe for Chocolate Chip Zucchini bread from none other than the Queen of down-home cooking and baking - Paula Deen. I love Paula's recipes and they're great for those times when I'm thinking "calories and fat grams be damned, I'm making one of Paula's recipes."
This zucchini bread is great for breakfast as a chocolate-chip studded way to start your day or as a night time snack with a big glass of cold milk. My daughter Abby, who is not a big fan of most things that are green, liked this bread and scarfed down a couple of pieces on the day that I made it so it's received the 13-year-old girl seal of approval and god knows that a tough thing to get.

This recipe makes two loaves so I froze one for when the snow flies this winter and I can pull out a loaf and instantly be transported back to summer when all I had to worry about was getting rid of all my zucchini. 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Zucchini ribbons, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.

Recipe from Food Network site.