Summer's Bounty - Zuchinni Bread

I love zucchini bread - and this has been my favorite recipe for years and years! (I actually won first prize at the county fair for this recipe many years ago - so many, actually, that I had forgotten all about that until I started typing this blog entry!) I wonder what ever happened to my first prize ribbon!

Here is the recipe with my modifications:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (honestly - most of the time I do not use this - I just add a few shakes of each of these: Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chopped fresh zucchini - unpeeled.

1/2 cup shredded carrot - optional

1 cup yellow raisins - ( I always soak the raisins in a strong orange pekoe tea- like Lipton- while I am preparing the bread)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large (29 ounce) can of pears - I use all but about 2 large pieces. These need to be mashed and I usually run them through the food processor. Reserve the juice.

1 cup canola oil -

3 large eggs

1 T vanilla

Spray 2 8x4x2 inch baking pans with nonstick coating. In a medium bowl combine flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine, sugars, eggs, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add mashed pears and mix well. Stir in flour mixture and if mixture is too thick - add some of the reserved pear juice. Lastly - stir in the zucchini, raisins, and carrots. Mixture should be thick - but pourable. Add more pear juice if necessary.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour - or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and immediately mix the glaze using a wire whisk:

1 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

enough milk to make pourable

With a sharp knife loosen the sides all around the pans. Pour glaze over bread while the bread is still very hot. Allow to cool completely before cutting. (Good Luck with that - I never can wait that long!)

This recipe came from a Better Homes and Garden magazine in the May 1990 issue. You can tell that it is well used by the food splotches all over it! This is really one of my most treasured recipes. I hope that it becomes one of your as well. ENJOY!