A Light Through the Darkness

This is my absolute favorite zucchini bread recipe ever. It's from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup cooking oil (I use unsweetened applesauce instead. Makes it supermoist)
1/2 cup nuts, optional

Oven preheated to 350 degrees F.

Mix everything together and put into a greased baking dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes.

You can also do either 1/2 apple, 1/2 zucchini, or all apple. Yummy!

I'm thinking of using this for the peach-raspberry bread. It's a mango tea bread, but I can do some substitutions.

Mango Tea Bread

Ingrediants
1 cup golden raisins (1 cup dried raspberries)
1/4 cup brandy (peach schnapps)


2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, diced (1 cup peach preserves)


1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (maybe not this - just ginger and nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Mix raisins and brandy in small bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

Puree mangoes in processor until smooth. Measure 1 cup puree for bread (reserve remainder for another use).

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and 1 cup mango puree. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Fold in raisins and brandy. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. Turn bread out; cool completely. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap bread in foil and store at room temperature.)


We'll see - I'll let you all know how it comes out!