BARBIE'S ZUCCHINI BREAD

I realize I have shared many Amish recipes lately. I think it is because so many of the cookbooks I have by my chair to look at when I am really not interested in what is on the television are Amish cookbooks. I do enjoy their recipes. They are usually not difficult or labor intensive. My husband often adds additional "seasonings" at the table because many of them do not use a lot of seasonings. (and he likes "seasoned dishes") They are also recipes that I occasionally see in non-Amish cookbooks because some Amish cooks are a little less traditional. No matter what the reason, I rarely try an "Amish" recipe, that I don't like.

I like zucchini bread but I don't like how recipes for it call for so much sugar. I do try to control and reduce the amount of sugar in recipes as much as I can. I just pass them by. This recipe from The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook caught my attention first by the word "Barbie" in the title and secondly when I noticed it had 1/2 cup of honey as a substitute for the 1-3/4 cups of sugar. It also had 1 cup of oil and usually I will substitute unsweetened applesauce for part of the oil when a recipe calls for so much, but this first time I decided to stay true to the recipe. 

In a personal note below the recipe, I discovered that "Barbie" (aka Barbara) is Beverly Lewis' sister. She passed the recipe along to Beverly years ago. Beverly's granddaughter Ariel like to put jelly or honey on top and sometimes whipped cream. 

I will admit that the bread wasn't as sweet as so many zucchini breads I have made, but everyone at Hillcrest Thrift Shop raved about it when I took a large loaf to them to enjoy. I cut the loaf down the middle and then sliced it and there were only 3 "pieces" left by the end of my shift. Josh, our downstairs manager, did admit to eating two pieces.

The only other personal note I have for the recipe is it indicates it makes 2 large loaves. I consider a large loaf the one made using a 9 x 5 - inch loaf pan. I prepared one and then two smaller loaf pans hoping to be able to have two smaller loaves to keep at home - one to eat now and one to freeze for later. Well, after filling the 9 x 5 - inch loaf pan, I only had enough to make one of the smaller loaves. I was using my Pyrex smaller loaf pans and not my metal mini loaf pans. The latter is about 3 x 4 - inches. You could probably fill two 8-1/2 x 4 - inch loaf pans.

BARBIE'S ZUCCHINI BREAD

3         eggs
1-3/4  cups sugar or 1/2 cup honey ( I used the honey)
1         cup oil
2        cups grated zucchini
1         teaspoon vanilla
1         teaspoon cinnamon
1         teaspoon baking soda
1         teaspoon baking powder
3        cups flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 large loaf pans (8-1/2 x 4 - inch).

Combine first five ingredients until smooth - eggs, sugar or honey, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.

Add cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.

Gradually add flour and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 55 minutes. ( I baked the smaller loaf for 40 minutes.)

Cool on wire rack 5 minutes or so before removing to finish cooling.