Rum Raisin Zucchini Bread
- Amy Yu
- Jul 5, 2014
- 2 min read
When I spotted unbelievably cheap local zucchini at the Reading Terminal Market last week, I could not resist loading as much as I could carry into my already heavy shopping basket. As I rode the subway home, I was already scheming up all the different ways I would eat the versatile vegetable. Crisp zucchini salads, creamy zucchini soup, and zingy zucchini pickles have been on the menu throughout the week, but my favorite way to eat zucchini is definitely in zucchini bread.
Moreover, the best zucchini bread I’ve ever eaten is this one so you can bet your caviar that it’s damn good. Super moist, lightly spiced, and studded with juicy raisins and crunchy walnuts, this zucchini bread will disappear faster than it took you to bake it. Zucchini lovers and haters alike will love this bread; just don’t tell haters there’s zucchini in it. They probably wouldn’t believe you anyway. You should probably start soaking those raisins now. Happy muching!
Rum Raisin Zucchini Bread
Makes 1 loaf, about 10 slices
Ingredients:
¾ cup raisins
4 tsp. rum extract
½ cup of water
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup + 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar, divided
½ cup roasted walnut oil
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 small zucchini or summer squash, shredded (about 1 cup)
½ cup walnuts, toasted and broken up by hand
Preparation:
1. Soak the raisins in the rum extract and water until plump, at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours. Drain the raisins, reserving the soaking liquid in a microwave safe bowl, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs with ¾ cup of brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil and yogurt until evenly combined.
5. Press excess liquid from the shredded zucchini on a fine mesh sieve. Discard the liquid or save it for another use. Add the pressed zucchini to the wet ingredients and whisk to incorporate.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. While the bread is baking, add the remaining 1 tbsp. brown sugar to the reserved raisin soaking liquid and stir to dissolve the sugar. Microwave for 4-5 minutes on high, or until the liquid has reduced in volume by about half and looks syrupy.
9. Remove the bread from the oven to a wire rack. Poke deep holes all over the loaf with a chopstick or a skewer. Brush the top of the warm bread with the rum raisin syrup. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.
10. Store bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or freeze extra slices for up to 6 weeks.
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