Chocolate Zucchini Cake

It's been a very busy and tiring we for me, so I am just getting around to puting my feet up and finishing this blog post. One thing that I love to grow in the garden is zucchini. I grow it for pretty much one reason: Chocolate Zucchini Cake! The best part about growing lots of zucchini is that you can shred it and freeze it in 2 cup portions and make this cake year round.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour milk (put a little vinegar in milk and it will turn sour)
2 cups shredded fresh zucchini

Topping: sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts (nuts are optional)

Mix all ingredients together, I just do it in the order they are listed. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle the topping on (be generous :). Bake for 35-45 min. at 350 degrees.

Just a few notes about zucchini. If the zucchini is the size of a large cucumber like the kind you buy in the store, it is delicious sliced and sauted in a little oil. If you let your zucchini grow bigger like the size of your arm, they are great for shredding and using in cake and bread. To shred the zucchini, peal off the skin with a potato peeler, cut it length wise and scoop out all the seeds, then shred with a grater. If you freeze zucchini and want to use it in a recipe later, make sure you thaw the zucchini and include all the "water/zucchini juice" in the recipe.

I wish I was better at taking pictures while baking and cooking, but I'm not. Here is a picture of the cake - it doesn't last long in our house! Rebecca actually cried when I started eating the last piece. I reluctantly shared a little with her :)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

So two of Dan's favorites are snickerdoodle cookies and blondies. I recently when to a potluck picnic and a friend had brought some delicious bars and when I asked what they were called, she said they were Snickerdoodle Blondies. I had never heard of them or had them before, but what a great combination. I knew Dan would like them too. So I found a recipe online and here it is from
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/07/09/snickerdoodle-blondies/

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Yield: 24 blondies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl, until thoroughly combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the flour is incorporated.

4. Spread the dough evenly into the pan (I found an offset spatula was the best tool for the job, as it’s a thick batter). Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

And I was right, Dan said, "I think I could just eat this whole pan."