Zucchini Bread with Steusel Topping

I LOVE zucchini bread. It is the bread of choice for summer. With all the zucchini lying around, being given away in basketfuls, you've got to make zucchini bread. Sure, you can also make fried zucchini, or zucchini fritters, or countless stir-fries. But, if you haven't been cooking zucchini bread, then you're missing out. There was one summer when I made it every Friday. The garden supplied the zucchini, and I didn't schedule myself for any work on Fridays. It was a nice arrangement.

I've been trying out zucchini bread recipes for a while now, and this one (with a few of my own tweaks both in flavor and design) is my favorite so far. It is moist and very flavorful. The clove and ginger add a really subtle flavor to complement the ample amount of cinnamon and vanilla I add.




For the zucchini bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup all-purpose wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 generous teaspoons baking soda
1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 dash of ground cloves (optional)
1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
3 eggs
1 cup gently melted butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2.5 cups grated zucchini

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Add the zucchini.
In a smaller bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, then gently mix that into the wet mixture.
Place in a lightly greased loaf pan. If you want to share (or control portions) use several smaller loaf pans.
Sprinkle with steusel, then bake at 325 for 40-60min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the streusel topping
2 tsp flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
1 pinch salt
3 Tbs COLD butter
(If you like nuts, add 1/2 C finely chopped walnuts or pecans and only use 1/2 C oats)

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. Using two butter knives, cut the butter into the mix by chopping the butter together, almost like the knives were scissors. When the butter is broken up, use your hands to make a nice crumbly paste. Sprinkle the steusel over the bread. This will make enough to cover a large loaf. If you are making lots of small loaves or cooking the bread in a cake pan, you might want to think about doubling the recipe.



I was thinking that I should get some pictures of it just as a slice of bread...but anything that got sliced off got eaten too quickly. It was a losing battle.