Satisfying My Chocolate Craving...with Zucchini Bread

Now don't jump to crazy conclusions, I don't think that zucchini bread is any substitution for chocolate, but when combined together the cocoa is the boss. You can get sweetness of the cocoa and wash it down with the fact that you are eating veggies!

Last summer my friend Dayna brought me a zucchini that was roughly the size of a wine bottle. I kid you not. It was large. Fresh. And from her mother's garden, so I was not about to waste even a shred of it. After making a large batch of veggie lasagna I still had enough left to make three more pans. Now we all know how much I love veggies, but I didn't want lasagna over and over again. Erin and I also lived in the city at the time and didn't have access to a grill so that lovely option was out. So...my mother suggested I try zucchini bread.

I don't do well with breads. I don't mean in the cooking sense, I mean in the eating sense...I can never eat one piece. I don't trust myself around pastries, bread baskets, chips, muffins, munchkins...I think I gave meaning to "you can't eat just one". So I tend to not have those items in my house. Out of sight, out of mind. Of course the obvious alternative would be to find a healthy recipe, that could taste good too. I don't mind the "healthy" taste of deserts, but erin is a bit pickier.

I stumbled upon a website from a women who had also done weight watchers and posted some of her favorite finds. One of them was for a Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 1/4 Cups Shredded Zucchini, packed

3/4 Cup Splenda Granular

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (optional for chocolate zucchini bread)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and spray your loaf pan! The recipe states to place the shredded zucchini in a cheese cloth to drain out all liquid. I never had a cheese cloth so I just pressed it out, REALLY WELL, with paper towels. The liquid needs to be completely out! Next combine splenda, sugar, egg, applesauce and vanilla. In another bowl combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Then combine the two bowls and finally fold in the zucchini. This bakes for 40-45 mins.

I know that some people are wary of using splenda to bake, but in this case you could not taste the difference. I made this bread again this summer and it was a hit. It's so moist and has alot of flavor. If you are counting points you can have an eighth of the loaf for only 2 points (its a pretty big piece)!

Not only does this work great as a desert but taste amazing toasted with fat free cream cheese.

Much like my summer supply of zucchini, the possibilities are endless.