Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I have a TON of zucchini in my garden, and I really don't want to throw it away, however, when I am eating zucchini 2 meals a day, I REALLY needed to find a new way to use up my delicious zucchini.

I had heard of  and tasted zucchini cookies, muffin, and breads, but I came accross this wonderfully moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread. After mine, and my family's reaction to it, I am considering adding another zucchini (or two) plant(s) to my vegetable garden next year so I can make this again and again! Best of all....it is VERY freezer friendly, so you can make loads and loads now, and enjoy it around the holidays with a hot cup of hot chocolate or wassil.

3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil (can also use 1/2 c. oil & 1/2 c. applesauce)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans VERY LIBERALLY.  (If you skimp on the greasing, your loaves will not come out in one piece.)

In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly into loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

YIELD: 20 servings

**TIP**: To prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the bread, add them with the dry ingredients, instead of at the end.

Breakfast Pizza

1 can crescent rolls
1/4 c. milk
6 eggs, well beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. sausage, cooked & crumbled
1 c. hash browns
1 c. cheese

Place crescent rolls in cookie sheet or pizza pan and seal edges. Sprinkle sausage and hash browns over dough. Mix eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and pour over pizza. Sprinkle cheese over pizza. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Perfect Pancakes

For variety, add your favorite fruit to the batter.

1 1/2 c. PANCAKE MIX (see Pancake Mix recipe under "mixes" category)
1 egg. slightly beaten
1 c. water
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Put pancake mix in a medium blow. Combine egg, water and oil in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to pancake mix. Add more water for thinner pancakes. Blend well. Let stand 5 minutes. Cook ona hot oiled griddle about 3-4 minutes, until browned on both sides. Makes 10-12 4-inch pancakes.

Puff Oven Pancakes

4 Tbsp. butter or margerine
4 eggs
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. PANCAKE MIX (see "mixes" category for pancake mix recipe)
Fiesta Fruit Topping (see below)

Fiesta Fruit Topping:
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen rapsberries or strawberries, thawed
1 c. pineapple chunks, drained
1 banana, sliced
1/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put 2 Tbsp. butter or margerine each in two 9-inch pie plates. Put in preheating oven to melt butter or margerine. In a blender, combine eggs, milk and pancake mix. Pour batter into pie plates. Bake about 18 minutes, until pancakes are puffy and browned. Do not open oven while pancakes are cooking. top with Fiesta Fruit Topping or your choice of topping. Makes 2 large pancakes.

Fiesta Fruit Topping:
Spoon raspberries or strawberries on top of each warm Puff Oven Pancake. Top with pineapple chunks and banana. Sprinkle brown sugar over top. Top with teaspoonfuls of sour cream. Serve immediately.

VARIATION:
Tart Lemon Topping:Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice over top of each warm Puff Oven Pancake. Sprinkle powedered sugar over top. Serve immediately.

Pancake Mix

If pancakes are popular at your house, you'll appreciate this mix.
10 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. instant nonfat dry milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. baking powder
2 Tbsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together to blend well. Put in a large bowl. Stir together to blend well. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6-8 months. Makes about 13 cups of pancake mix.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Muffins

2 1/3 c. MUFFIN MIX (see Muffin Mix recipe in "mixes" category)
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter muffin cups. Put muffin mix in a medium bowl. Combine egg and milk in a small bowl. Add all at once to muffin mix. Stir until is just moistened; batter should be lumpy. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 12 large muffins.

VARIATIONS:
Jelly Muffins: Fill each muffin cup 1/3 full with batter. Drip 1 tsp. jelly on top of batter. fill cups 2/3 full with batter.

Cheese Muffins: Add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese to muffin mix before adding liquid ingredients.

Banana Muffins: Add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg to muffin mix. Mash 1 banana and add to liquid ingredients before adding liquid to muffin mix.

Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup well-drained blueberries to liquid ingredients before adding liquid to muffin mix.

Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 ½ c flour
¾ tsp. salt
¾ c. sugar
¼ c. shortening or butter/marg (soft)
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ c. milk
1 egg

Beat all ingredients together vigorously for about 1½ minutes. Lightly grease 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Poor into greased pan.

Topping:
1/3 c. brown sugar (firmly packed)
¼ c. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Firm butter

Mix together with fingers until all dry ingredients are mixed into the butter. Sprinkle over the cake batter in little lumps. Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 F. for 25-30 minutes.

Breakfast Burrito on the Grill

6 - Eggs
4 - Flower Tortillas
1 - Cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 - Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 - 4oz. Can of green Chilies
1/2 - Yellow onion (Chopped Fine)
1/2Lb. - Sliced Bacon

Heat a non-stick Griddle plate on your BBQ (Medium Heat). Cook bacon on the griddle plate until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain grease.

Sauté onions, garlic, and green chilies, on griddle plate until the onions have softened, about 1 minute. Add the eggs. Stir until the eggs are scrambled and thoroughly cooked.

Warm the tortillas on the grill until the edges are crisp. Divide the egg mixture equally amount the 4 tortillas. Add 2 strips of bacon to each burrito. Top with cheese and your favorite hot sauce. Fold each tortilla up like a burrito and enjoy.

Sweet Rolls

Add in order into bread machine:
1 large egg, beaten
¼ c. water
1 c. milk
4 c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ box vanilla instant pudding mix (1/4 c.)
¼ c. butter/margarine, melted
2 ½ tsp. yeast.

…then use dough setting

Filling:
½ c. butter/margarine, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tsp. cinnamon

Place into a greased 9x13 pan. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE

Frosting:
3 c. powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. Softened butter/margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
3-6 Tbsp. milk