I found this recipe off one of my favorite food blogs – 101 Cookbooks and had to share it. This is so delicious!

• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, plus a few to sprinkle on top
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds (optional)
• zest of two lemons (optional)
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fine grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium), skins on, squeeze some of the moisture out and then fluff it up again before using
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)

Special equipment: two 1 pound loaf pans (5 x 9 inches)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter the two loaf pans, dust them with a bit of flour and set aside. Alternately, you can line the pans with a sheet of parchment. If you leave a couple inches hanging over the pan, it makes for easy removal after baking. Just grab the parchment “handles” and lift the zucchini bread right out.

In a small bowl combine the walnuts, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and ginger. Set aside.

In a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (low speed if you are using a mixer).

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition.

By hand, fold in the walnut, poppy seed, lemon zest, and crystalized ginger mixture. Save a bit of this to sprinkle on the tops of the zucchini loaves before baking for a bit of texture. Avoid over mixing the batter, it should be thick and moist, not unlike a butter cream frosting.

Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Make sure it is level in the pans, by running a spatula over the top of each loaf. Bake for about 40-45 minutes on a middle oven rack. I like to under bake my zucchini bread ever so slightly to ensure it stays moist. Keep in mind it will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven as it is cooling. Remove from the oven and cool the zucchini bread in pan for about ten minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling – if you leave them in their pans, they will get sweaty and moist (not in a good way) as they cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

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Despite its little girl feel, I love this cookbook.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is a fantastic cook for the intimidated yet aspiring chef. The step by step pictures makes even the most challenging dishes attainable and is a perfect gift for someone who likes eating but is scared of the kitchen. I think its the step by step pictures which makes this cookbook so great – cookbooks without pictures are just a no go in my opinion.

Great recipes in Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl include:

• flat apple pie
• cinnamon rolls
• meatloaf
• roasted corn salad
• lasagna

As you can see, nothing too fancy, but something we all love and most probably have the ingredients in the pantry. The Pioneer Woman Cooks is definitely geared for the home cook and tells her life story as well (if you are interested that is).

Some of you may already follow her blog and a lot of the recipes can be found on her blog (my major gripe), but for those who like beautiful glossy pictures, you won’t be disappointed.

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Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Dessert Book

From the Back Cover

MORE CHUNKS LESS BUNK

Despite a philosophical disagreement over chunk size-Ben prefers them large and occasional while Jerry favors frequent, somewhat smaller ones-together Ben and Jerry are good friends who make great ice cream.

Now they share all the recipes and techniques that have been made them nationwide heroes. Specially adapted to make at home, there are 90 recipes in all, including sorbets, summer slushes, giant sundaes and other ice-cream concoctions. All you have to do is remember Ben & Jerry’s two rules of ice-cream making:

RULE #1

You don’t have to be a pro to make incredibly delicious ice cream.

RULE #2

There’s no such thing as an unredeemingly bad batch of homemade ice cream.

NEW FLAVORS TO TRY:

Orange Cream Dream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Honey Apple Raisin Walnut

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl

Chocolate Superfudge Brownie

FLAVORS YOU KNOW AND LOVE:

Heath Bar Crunch

Dastardly Mash

Fresh Georgia Peach

Oreo Mint

BEN & JERRY REVEAL:

How to break Heath Bars into the perfect bite-size chunks.

How to add chunks so they don’t sink to the bottom.

Why you must eat honey-flavored ice cream in one sitting.

Click here to look at our recommended ice-cream makers: Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker.

Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes

The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge

For nearly a decade, The Healthy College Cookbook has offered time-pressed, budget-crunched students a simple way to enjoy home cooking in their own small apartment kitchens or even dorm rooms. Written by students for students, the b (more…)