Mama's Zuchinni Bread

I just love tea breads and quick breads.  They are perfect for snacking and for breakfast.  This is just a wonderful bread and my Mama has been making this since I was a kid.  

Mama's Zucchini Bread
Dry Mix:
3 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Wet Mix:
3 eggs (large or extra large)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini (do not peel skins)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch loaf pan or an 10x12 aluminum pan.

Combine all dry ingredients together and whisk to incorporate ingredients well.

In another bowl, combine all wet ingredients except zucchini/nuts and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on rack for 25 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. 

Gluten-Free Brownie Recipe

These are the best brownies I have ever eaten and they are Gluten-Free.  The recipe source is Bon Appetit.   I consider myself a brownie snob and I am very picky when it comes to brownies.  This is the best recipe I have tried and I have tried at least 50 in the past 30+ years.  The only thing I added different was 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to batter. Wonderful!

Gluten Free Brownies
by: Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons rice flour
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly (5 minutes).
3. Stir in sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
4. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
5. Add rice flour, tapioca flour, and corn starch one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
6. Add walnuts or pecans if desired.
7. Spread into greased 8x8" square baking pan.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs on it.

Milopita (Greek Apple Walnut Cake)

This is a traditional Greek apple-walnut cake.  It's super moist and delicious.  I love this cake for breakfast, snack time, tea time and of course, dessert. 

Milopita (Greek Apple Cake)

Wet ingredients:
3 extra large eggs or 4 medium to large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (such as canola or corn)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup orange juice

Dry ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Add Ins:
1 cup finely ground walnuts
3 cups finely chopped apples

Extra: Powder sugar and Cinnamon for dusting on top of cool cake.  Do this generously.

In a stand mixer, mix eggs and sugar, slowly add oil and continue to beat well.  Add vanilla and orange juice.  Mix to combine all wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk lightly to combine well.    Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Add apples and walnuts mix to combine well.

Butter a 9x13 cake pan.  Pour batter into pan, spread evenly.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.  Test with toothpick.  After cake is cooled completely, do a generous dusting of powder sugar then cinnamon.

I slice into diamond shapes.  Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dusting of cinnamon on ice cream and a drizzle of orange blossom honey.  It's awesome.

Note:  In these pics, I went kind of chunky on the nuts.  I like a finer ground and recommend you do so.