Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

It is officially zucchini season--one of my favorite times of year.  There is just so much that can be done with zucchini.  It goes well with eggs, it is delicious when stuffed with cheese, and it is heavenly when battered and fried (alas, it is one of those very few foods that makes me wish my kitchen was equipped for deep-fat frying).  However, you can only eat so much of any one food and when you are done enjoying zucchini for the tasty vegetable that it is, but you still have some lingering on your counter, you can always make zucchini bread.

Yes, yes, I know.  Everyone makes zucchini bread.  Well, of course they do; it is delicious.  But this bread isn't so much a bread as it is a chocolate cake.  A rich, moist, fluffy, irresistible chocolate cake.  Now, how can you argue with that?  I know I can't.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Adapted from food.com
Yield: 1 9x5 loaf (12 slices)

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup + 1tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour your loaf pan.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Beat in oil, sugar, and vanilla.
4. Stir in zucchini.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients and stir until just mixed; be careful not to overwork the batter.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into your loaf pan.
8. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (approximately one hour).

Calories: 301 per slice