Zucchini Bread (or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins)

Zucchini Bread

Description:
Got this from my mom's cookbook. It is LaVee Kawakami's recipe.

Ingredients:
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 c oil
3 eggs
2 c grated zucchini (or pumpkin or applesauce)
3 c flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts*
1 c raisins*

*optional

Directions:
Beat eggs. Gradually add sugars and oil. Combine dry ingredients. Add first mixture alternately with zucchini. Stir in raisins, nuts, and vanilla. Pour into 2 slightly greased and floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pans.

NOTE: I don't care for raisins, so don't use them in much of anything. I like zucchini without any nuts. I like pumpkin with chocolate chips, so leave out the raisins and put in the same amount of chocolate chips. I didn't try the applesauce, but we made it for Enrichment tonight with raisins, and they liked it. This also makes good mini muffins, which need to bake between 20 and 25 minutes.

Note from Kathi 9/30/08: I made one loaf from this reciple last night. Had to use a little more flour than 1/2 of what the recipe calls for - you want the batter to be a little thicker than pumpkin pie filling! It baked up very nicely in about 1 hr and 5 min.

I also made a loaf using splenda instead of sugar and about 7/8ths of a cup of rice flour and 7/8ths of oat flour. Everything else (except the eggs), I just halved. It also cooked up quite nicely in an hour. It is very very tender, but it has a nice texture and tastes really good.

Number Of Servings:2 loaves

Preparation Time:10-15 minutes, plus 1 hour to bake.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins

This is a two-part recipe. My mom always made cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. It's a gorgeous ruby color and isn't cooked, so it tastes very fresh, of cranberries and oranges. But we always had some left because the recipe makes about 2 cups, and people usually only used 1-2 Tbs with their turkey. So, one year, I bought relish instead of making it because I was short on time, and there was a recipe for muffins right next to the relish. Ta-da!

I've had to modify the relish a bit because mom used to put the whole orange through her food grinder, and my little food processor can't handle that.

Mom's Cranberry Relish
1 package fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
1 navel orange
scant 3/4 c sugar

In your food processor or food chopper, grind the cranberries until small-ish (the size should look like pickle relish). Put cranberries in a bowl. Zest the orange, then juice it, right on top of the cranberries. Add the sugar and mix well. Refrigerate and let sit for several hours before the meal.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins
1/2 c cranberry relish
1/4 c shortening, butter, or margarine
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla*
3/4 c milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Cream shortening and sugar; add egg. Beat until fairly smooth. Add dry ingredients, vanilla, and milk and stir until just mixed. Fold in relish and swirl. Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

*I added the vanilla because I love it and it was the challenge ingredient. ha.

Five stars -- kiddo and baby loved them. The husband isn't home from work yet, but he'll eat them, too, and I'm taking a dozen to a family party later on. Yay!