If you are "into"
CHOCOLATE,
you will probably like this.
you will probably like this.
If you are NOT, ...do NOT make
this!!!
"Double Chocolate" =
very CHOCOLATE'Y!!
In addition to
cocoa, each loaf
has a whole cup of
semi-sweet
chocolate chips in
it! (To make it with "less of strong chocolate", use milk chocolate chips, or leave 'em out altogether.)
INGREDIENTS:
The following ingredients make just ONE of the
8x4-inch loaves. Double all ingredients to make two as shown
above.
1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hershey's
cocoa)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I use
aluminum-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
...
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance blend)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup honey (I used honey fresh from our son's
beehives)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
....
2 cups shredded zucchini (If using larger zucchini,
cut in half and remove seeds along with its "drier stuff"-- I don't peel
it.)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. (Use milk chocolate chips IF you would rather have a more mild chocolate flavor!, or leave the chips out altogether.)
I love nuts! and I would like to have put some in here, ...but not every family member likes them as much as I do! Besides, my pan was FULL ENOUGH without anything else being added.
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. I also cut a long/thin piece of parchment paper that will go down the end, along the bottom, and up the other end. I spray that, too. It seems to take the "hope" out of removing the loaf when it's done.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda). Make sure everything is very evenly mixed together. (It's not necessary, but I also ran this dry mixture through a strainer-type sieve to get rid of any small lumps that could be in the cocoa,) Set aside.
- In quite a LARGE bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract. Once this is mixed together, I like to let this stand for a few minutes so that the liquid (eggs and vanilla) can sort of "melt" the granules of brown sugar. Maybe five minutes, ...and then I whisk it for a little bit, again.
- NOW, I dump the bowl of whisked together "dry ingredients" into the large bowl of the whisked together "wet" ingredients. Before stirring, I also dump the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips on the top of all. At this point, I start stirring/blending/folding with a wide spatula or wooden spoon. I just want to make sure things are blended together-- over-stirring may cause a drier/tougher loaf than I want.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. When I saw how much batter I had in comparison to the size of the smaller loaf pan, I thought I would surely be in "trouble" because the batter came to 1/2" from the top of the pan. I was picturing a serious kind of "bake-over" in the oven, but,... it didn't happen. All was well.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick (or thin sharp knife) inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Depending on your own oven, and especially if you will be using a DARK kind of loaf pan, you might want to put a baking sheet on the rack that's below the rack you're using-- this may keep the bottom of your loaf from getting too dark before it's done. My pans were "light colored", so I didn't have to do that. Some bakers say the baking time may also have to be decreased a little if you are using a dark pan (a glass loaf dish, too?). You know your oven better than anyone else-- bake accordingly.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing-- sometimes, it's hard to wait for that!!! Store leftovers at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. (I'm one who likes "cold cake" and I will also eat other things in their "cold state", also, so,... I like to store this in the refrigerator.)
*This recipe came from the website of King Arthur Flour.
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