MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK'S ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES AND VANILLA CHIPS

Whenever I go to Maine to visit my dear friend Nelda, I come home with new recipes and new favor combinations I want to try.  Years ago Nelda made a cookie that had dried cranberries and white chocolate/vanilla chips in it.  I loved the combination of the cranberries and the white chips.

Michigan Cottage Cook Zucchini Bread with Dried Cranberries and Vanilla Chips

This fall when I was grating my zucchini for the freezer, I decided I wanted to make a bread with the dried cranberries and white chips in it.  I started with an old zucchini bread from the 1970's and went from there.  The bread received rave reviews.

My small bread pans.

I like to make quick breads in small pans rather than one or two larger pans.  For one thing, the bread bakes quicker and so there is not a thick crust.  The second reason is that I have more breads so I can give more people gifts.  No one is eating large amounts anymore so a small gift is very popular.  I like to use 5 1/2-inch x 3-inch pans or 7 1/2-inch x 3 1/2-inch pans.  



MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK'S ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES AND WHITE VANILLA CHIPS

2 c flour
1 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 t cinnamon
3 eggs, I always use large eggs in baking
2 c zucchini, unpeeled and grated
3/4 c vegetable oil, or 1/2 oil and 1/2 unsweetened applesauce
1 T vanilla
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c white chocolate or white vanilla chips

I lost my ingredients picture, but there are no unusual ingredients.  This is a picture of my zucchini and applesauce that I keep in the freezer for baking.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until light and foamy.  To the eggs, add oil, zucchini, and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add dry ingredients, dried cranberries and white chips.  Stir mixtures together with a spatula or spoon until flour mixture is just moistened.   Spray loaf pans, or muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.  Add batter to pans.  Bake in preheated 325 degrees F. oven until bread starts to pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pans and continue to cool. 

If using 1/2 applesauce for oil in the bread, thaw it in the microwave.

 

 

 



Spray pans with non-stick cooking spray.

 



In a bowl, put dry ingredients and mix well.

 

 

 



In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy.

 

 

 



Thawed applesauce.

 

 



Add oil to applesauce to make 3/4 cup.

 

 

 



When eggs are light and foamy,



add oil mixture, vanilla, and zucchini.

Beat well.

 

 

 



To egg/zucchini mixture, add dry ingredients, dried cranberries and white chips.

 

 

 



Gently mix all together until flour is moistened.

 



Scoop batter into prepared pans.

 

 

Bake in preheated 325 degrees F. oven until bread starts to pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 

Cool baked bread on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pans and finish cooling on rack.

 

 

 

 



Enjoy with cream cheese or butter, if desired.

 

 

 



Enjoy!

 

 

 



Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!