The theme was Creative Quick Breads: The holiday baking season is upon us. And this month we’re going way beyond grandma’s banana bread. From sweet to savory and whole-grain to gluten-free, show us your new quick bread creation fresh from the oven. And if you have a tip for wrapping and giving your lovely loaf, please share that too!
I have heard the term, I've seen it in cookbooks, but quite honestly, I looked it up first to make sure I was on the right track! Webster's defines quick bread as "bread made with a leavening agent (as baking powder or baking soda) that permits immediate baking of the dough or batter mixture" - so, many things fit into this category.
As I often do, I considered what I already had in the house, thus I landed on zucchini, as I haven't used it in baking even though it's a common moisture enhancing ingredient. I have also been thinking about trying black bean brownies (another fairly common one these days), so I landed on chocolate and black beans. I still wanted to make a loaf, as that was what I first considered with "beyond grandma's banana bread". So here is my November creation - don't forget to check out the collection below. I did attempt to see what my Vitamix could handle, but have changed the directions since it wasn't powerful enough for all the dry ingredients I attempted (lesson learned). It is a fairly dense loaf, but moist and flavourful without being too sweet. My husband said that it looks like a giant Clif bar, and I know it isn't the most beautiful loaf I've ever seen.
Choco-Bean Zucchini Loaf
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
1 - 540 ml (about 18 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I like camino)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup white flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp espresso grounds (optional)
1 cup zucchini, grated/shredded
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Grate or shred zucchini, I used my food processor to make quick work of it. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a loaf pan.
2. Combine beans, eggs, oil, and cocoa in blender until smooth.
3. Combine baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and espresso in a large bowl.
4. Fold in bean mixture.
5. Add zucchini and chocolate chips.
6. Spread into loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 2-5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or room temperature.
Other quick breads I considered were biscuits or scones as I do love breakfast items or those that go well with tea or coffee.
Stay warm,
Steph Langdon, RD
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
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