Studded with toasted pecans and sweet, plump currants – this hearty and fruity, spiced bread is loaded with fragrance, flavor and crunch.
Zucchini bread was the bread of the 70s. It was ubiquitous – so much so that when the 70s came and went – in large part so did zucchini bread. Which was unfortunate because it is a beautiful and delicious quick bread.
Zucchini, known as a member of the squash family, is technically a fruit. And much like its cousin the yellow squash, zucchini is in large part water – about 95%. This dark green squash lends an important property to a dish – the unique ability to absorb all the wonderful things surrounding them.
Those little strand of zucchini pull in the spice from the cinnamon and the floral notes of the pure vanilla extract then amplifies them. Tiny currants provide extra pops of sweet in every bite and crunchy toasted pecans bring just the right amount of nuttiness.
As with any quick bread, use a light touch when mixing in the flour and the ingredients added after the flour, otherwise your bread will have a tough bite. When you’re ready to bake the loaves place the pans on the lowest rack in your oven. To prevent the bread from being dry, take care to not over bake it. It’s okay if a crumb or two stick to the toothpick when you test for doneness.
As a bonus, this recipe makes two large loaves and it freezes beautifully. Spicy and fruity, this bread is full of warmth and earthy goodness!
Zucchini Pecan Bread
4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups flour, divided
4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, about 2 medium squash
1 cup rough chopped toasted pecans
1 cup currants
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Spray two large loaf pans, (9” x 5” x 3”) with a baking spray, line with parchment paper and give the paper another spritz of the baking spray. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed until the eggs are light in color and thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. On medium speed, add the sugar about ½ cup at a time blending well into the eggs. Mix in the vegetable oil.
In a separate bowl whisk together 3-¼ cups of the flour, reserving the remaining ¼ cup, along with the baking powder, kosher salt and the cinnamon.
Using low speed, add about 1 cup of the flour at a time to the egg and sugar mixture beating just until the flour disappears.
Toss in the zucchini and mix in using low speed.
Toss the pecans and the currants in the remaining ¼ cup of flour. (Tossing the pecans and currants in the flour keeps them from sinking in the batter while baking.) Using low speed stir the pecans and the currants into the batter.
Blend in the vanilla extract.
Scoop the batter into two large loaf pans.
Bake on the lowest rack of the oven at 350-degrees for 55 minutes or until the bread tests done – take care to not over bake. Place the pans on a wire rack and cool the bread for 10 minutes. Then remove the loaves from the pans and let the bread cool completely on the wire racks.
Makes two large loaves.
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Zucchini Pecan Bread
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- 2 Large loaf pans
Ingredients
- 4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3-½ cups flour, divided
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, about 2 medium squash
- 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
- 1 cup currants
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray two large loaf pans, (9” x 5” x 3”) with a baking spray, line with parchment paper and give the paper another spritz of the baking spray. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees
- Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed until the eggs are light in color and thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the sugar about ½ cup at a time blending well into the eggs.
- Mix in the vegetable oil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3-¼ cups of the flour, reserving ¼ cup, along with the baking powder, kosher salt and the cinnamon.
- Using low speed, add about 1 cup at a time to the egg and sugar mixture beating just until the flour disappears.
- Add the zucchini, mixing in on low-speed.
- Toss the pecans and the currants in the remaining ¼ cup of flour.
- Using low speed stir the pecans and the currants into the batter.
- Blend in the vanilla extract.
- Scoop the batter into two large loaf pans.
- Bake on the lowest rack in the oven at 350-degrees for 55 minutes or until the bread tests done – take care not over bake.
- Cool the bread in the pans placed on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove the loaves from the pans. Let the bread cool completely on the wire racks.
