passport needed: chocolate zucchini bread

I am blogging to you live right now from... my apartment in NYC. Nope, I didn't just jump out of the infinity pool to log a post. No, there is no beach native bringing me my third pina colada of the day. Apparently, one needs a passport to fly to Mexico. And that passport can not be 5 days expired. Even if you find out about it once you're standing in front of the JetBlue agent at 6:30am on Labor Day with your bag packed ready to fly to Cancun.

So, I'm in the city for the week instead of lying pool-side with a book or hiking around Mayan ruins with my parents. I'll save you the freakout (that happened yesterday when I came home from JFK) and instead I'll give you a fabulous new recipe. See, when life gives me lemons, I bake them into lemon bars. So tonight, I channeled that thought and grabbed some of summer's last squash.

I was perusing Tastespotting last weekend and bookmarked a few recipes to make after vacation. This was one of them. I shredded my zucchini fine and the loaf came out perfect - moist, chocolatey, and delicious. Summer's almost over so don't let those zucchini pass you by - they're in their prime and perfect with a little chocolate!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

via One Ordinary Day

1 1/2 cups shredded, raw zucchini

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or spray with nonstick spray a 9x5x3" loaf pan.

Grate the zucchini using a medium-size grater. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.

In a bowl of your electric mixer, beat the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended - about 2 minutes. Fold in the grated zucchini. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean, about 55 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.