Monday, August 23, 2010

Spiced zucchini loaf


The rising sun
Blesses my mind
With joy.
The setting sun
Blesses my heart
With peace.
Sri Chinmoy

I never underestimate the power of the sun on our mood and our sense of well-being. It really is amazing to see the effect sunshine, following days of grey and slate, has on people. It's as if they have become uncovered for the first time after years spent under a dust sheet in an unused room. All of the glum and apathy fall to the floor as they breathe, smile and lift their heads to the sky.
I witnessed such an event yesterday at a friend's son's baptism. The clouds had rolled back and the sun came marching out with baton in hand and a super snappy step to match. Everyone greeted each other with, 'how perfect is the weather today, so beautiful', with a smile beaming from their sun-dazzled cheeks. It made the day just that much more special and joyous. The little man himself enjoyed the sun's kiss on his head and soon forgot the tears from his oil-bath. Like an eraser to a chalk board, all negativity is washed away by golden light.

It seems Winter has allowed Spring to set up one week early - flowers have already begun to bloom, birds have begun their mating dances, and leaden clouds no longer carpet the entire sky. I find that I am making excuses to be outside and feel the warmth tickle the surface of my skin. Even the air feels fresher when drenched in bright-lemon rays. 

As the afternoon approached I decided to bake a treat to accompany a cup of tea and a midday nature-break, which may have lingered past the hour...



ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 1 hour.

taste: 4.5/5. This became my catnip.

I will never forget how this loaf made my home smell. The mixture of spicy cinnamon and heady nutmeg combined with that sweetness of bread made my home as inviting as a roaring fire on a frostbitten day - I felt like I was getting a huge aroma-cuddle. Sigh.

The taste was nourishing and deeply satisfying - the spices, the sweetness, the moistness, just everything.

The texture was as perfect as the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The crust became that perfect chewy, slightly crunchy texture which gave way to a super moist but with only a slight large crumb centre.

I liked this so much I made it twice in one week. I made it first with white spelt flour and the second time with wholemeal spelt flour - both were lovely, but the first had a slightly softer centre.

I also increased the cinnamon to 1tsp and the nutmeg to 3/4tsp.

would I make it again: Already have.


recipe: Zucchini bread

16 comments:

  1. Hello fellow sun lover :)

    Another great recipe to put on my 'to bake' list. I love sweet loafs yet have never tried a more savoury one. Sounds delicious xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful ode to the power of the sun :). I've got a pretty nasty sore throat and can barely swallow, but that aroma cuddle would be great about now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A great loaf! Delicious sounding and looking!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  4. if i could find a food that affects me as catnip affects my cats, i'd embrace it! lovely loaf. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your zucchini bread looks delicious. And then to be gluten-free...I'm amazed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mhmmmm! Lucky for me I just received a hoard of zucchini's from a friend's allotment! Guess what I'm making this weekend? ;)

    Jax x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello,

    I would like to propose a link-exchange. If you are interested please send me an email at ursul3tz@gmail.com for details. Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. thanks for the recipe. i've just been looking for a new zucchini bread recipe. when i read your reference to spring, i realized that we're on opposite sides of the globe. in michigan, usa, i'm inundated with zucchini and looking for a way to use them up. cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love good zucchini bread, it really helps on those gray San Francisco days :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love zucchini bread. the veggie such a surprising moistness to it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The spiced smell that filled your home, the clouds that rolled back to let the sunlight through, the great cup of tea, a baptism all makes for a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  12. After just having spent two weeks basking in the sun, I'm with you! And as I look out the window today, rain and gloom. :(

    This loaf looks divine! Zucchini abounds right now too! Shall we call it human-nip?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi,


    I'd like to give a $10 discount voucher to your site which your readers could use in their take-away orders placed on Menulog (1,000+ listed take away restaurants). All they have to do is just type the voucher code (which will be provided upon response to this email) at the check out. This is on top of any existing discounts our restaurants offer to your readers as part of our normal process.



    Please let me know what you think.



    Cheers,
    Ruby Anne
    (ruby@menulog.com.au)

    ReplyDelete
  14. thank you for your sweet words ♥

    I saw this post the other day and thought I must try it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have provided great recipe for spiced zucchini loaf. It is easy to make and delicious. I can easily make it by using this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete