Zucchini and Cranberry Bread

You say to-MAY-to, I say to-MA-to.  You say Zucchini, I say Courgette.  Let's not fall out about it.

I'm on a path of discovery these days.  I recently discovered that there is a product called eye moisturiser.  Did you know that?  Have you been living your life innocently like I have, when you read in a newspaper magazine column that the rest of the world uses different moisturiser for face and for eyes?  Why didn't I know this?  Why wasn't I in school the day everyone else was learning about this?  How did I miss this after all the rubbishy glossy magazines I spent years buying?  Since my eye cream discovery, I've asked mates if they knew about it.  Seems as if I'm the only one who's been in the dark all these years.

Another recent discovery I've made is about using zucchini in baking.  It's very like using carrots in the sense that it adds sweetness and moisture to the bread.  I love the way the red cranberries and the green zucchini specks make this a real multi-coloured bread.

Makes 2 x 1lb loaves

Ingredients

2 large eggs, beaten

260g sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

450g grated courgette / zucchini (I used about 2 large courgettes)

160g melted butter

2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

380g plain flour

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g walnuts / pecans / brazil nuts

100g cranberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Grease and line 2 x 1 lb loaf tins with parchment paper.

Mix the eggs and sugar together.  Add the vanilla, zucchini and melted butter and mix well.

Add the flour together with the bircarb, salt and spices and fold into the mixture.  Fold in the cranberries and the nuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tins and bake for 1 hour or until beautifully browned.  After about 40 mins, my breads were brown enough so I covered them with tin foil for the remaining 20 mins.  The loaves are ready when a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tins for 5 mins before cooling completely on a wire rack.