The SF Ferry Building manager, Marni Craig, loves to bake and Stonehouse asked her to share her recipe! Her secret ingredient is the Stonehouse Lisbon Lemon oil, which gives the loaf an extra sweet note without a lot of sugar.
Ingredients
- Olive oil to grease your pan
- 1½ cups finely grated zucchini, packed
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar or Sucanat
- ⅓ cup Lisbon Lemon EVOO (or any classic EVOO)
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional, but boosts lemony flavor)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, see other mix-in options below)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with olive oil (can use lemon or classic oil).
In a large bowl, mix together grated zucchini (no need to press out any water—just grate and pack/press it into your measuring cups), sugar, olive oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, spices and lemon zest (if using). Then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until moistened—do not over mix. Fold in the walnuts if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40–55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack completely before cutting and serving.
VARIATIONS
• Make a dozen muffins instead. Bake for 18 minutes.
• Substitute yellow squash for the zucchini.
• Replace the nutmeg with ½ teaspoon each of cardamom and ginger, and swap in Blood Orange EVOO for the lemon.
• Add ¼ cup raisins, dried cherries, or freeze-dried raspberries.
• Add ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
