Chocolate and Zucchini Bread

The smell of the bread while cooking is fantastic. Cinnamony with the hint of the applesauce and nutmeg coming through. The outside crust is perfect - a shell to contain the extremely moist and fluffy inside. You can’t taste the zucchini or the olive oil and the nutmeg and cloves really pop out and accent the chocolate flavor. 1. Preheat oven to 350F and prep two loaf pans (You could also do it in one and have a nice big loaf, my loaves came out small) 2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. 3. Then, mix all of the wet ingredients (except for zucchini). 4. Make a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients and pour the wet ones in. Stir until incorporated and then stir in zucchini until batter is combined, but still a bit lumpy. Here is where the fun could potentially start. Feel free to add some mini chocolate chips,a cup of shredded carrots or sweet potatos, raisins or toasted walnuts (set on a baking sheet when you start to preheat the oven and they’ll be toasted by the time you get to this phase). Or not. The bread is delicious on its own. 5. Bake at 350F for about an hour or so. Just test it with a strand of dry spaghetti or a toothpick after an hour in the oven. 6. Take out and let cool in pans for about 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges and pop bread out. Wrap in a clean dishcloth and wait until it cools - the flavors really meld overnight.