Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

During the summer, there’s an abundance of fresh produce. And zucchini is at the top of my grocery list because it is so easy to incorporate into recipes and inexpensive. This bread recipe is not too heavy, not too light and there’s just a hint of orange which makes a really nice addition to traditional zucchini bread recipes.

Pack this bread for an on-the-go breakfast, eat it for a snack or serve as a dessert with whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange zest

Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool.