If July is blueberry
month,
then August is the time to start using up the zucchini in your garden. This versatile veggie can be incorporated
into both sweet and savory dishes.
Although one of my least favorites when it comes to cooking, zucchini is
a great addition to quick breads, muffins, and other baked goods. Try my recipe for Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini
Bars. They are moist and sweet, and if you are like me, maybe you can convince
yourself that one or two of these bars will meet a daily vegetable
requirement! Enjoy!
Cinnamon Frosted
Zucchini Bars
½ cup of dark brown
sugar
½ cup of white sugar
¾ cup of unsalted
butter, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups of
all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons of
baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons of
pumpkin pie spice
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
bean paste
2 cups of shredded
zucchini (pat dry between two towels to remove excess moisture)
½ cup of shredded
coconut
Preheat the oven to
350 degrees. Grease a 15x10-inch jelly
roll pan with shortening. In the bowl of
an electric mixer, beat together the sugars and butter until light, then beat
in the eggs and vanilla bean paste.
Sift together the
flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add to the creamed mixture, then stir in the zucchini and coconut.
Spread batter evenly
into the pan with an off-set spatula.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire
baking rack to cool completely, then frost with the following:
Cinnamon Frosting
3 cups of
confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 or 4 tablespoons of
milk
4 tablespoons of
unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
bean paste
Add all ingredients
to the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat together until light creamy.
Note: To make these bars easier to cut, place in
the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
