Mmmmmmm! The sweet smells of summer! 😀 My dear sweet neighbors gave me a beautiful zucchini from their garden and I couldn’t hardly wait to create another decadent, sweet, moist bread! I was craving chocolate big time, but I knew I was out of chocolate chips! *gasp!* I know, right? Panic mode!

So I started going through my goodie basket and found more white chocolate chips….(do these things multiply like rabbits overnight or something??) I obviously didn’t use very many during the holidays! So white chocolate chips were definitely going in! 😀

But “white chocolate” isn’t even really chocolate, and I of course wanted the real thing! 😉 So it was on to the cupboards! Unsweeted baking cocoa and one last ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate were going to “have to do”. 😉 Bummer, I know.

I figured that was going to be quite enough chocolate! (Is there really such a thing??) But should definitely create quite a decadently rich bread.

While perusing through my goodie basket, I also found the stand-by pecans along with something else that I thought would actually be quite interesting in this bread! I had only used some of them during the holidays, and had just enough to add to the bread and finish off the bag!

These little gems are incredibly tasty and WOW were they ever good in this! I don’t know if I even want to buy the regular ones anymore, because these just blow the others away!

Ocean Spray’s Blueberry Juice-Infused Craisins! Un. Be. Lievably good!!!

(Image from Ocean Spray)

Even though I do have a few new bread pans, I’m sentimental about these old ones and they never fail me! They’re stained, dented and scratched, and I wouldn’t part with them for the world! They’re simple and plain, and don’t have any kind of fancy coating or made with any kind of non-stick material, so I always grease them with old fashioned butter-flavored Crisco Shortening and flour them. I’ve never once had anything stick!

The loaves turn out onto the rack perfectly every single time! 😀

One of the things I enjoy most about making breads like this, is that they make two loaves! So the second loaf made for a very nice gift to my neighbors, (who also thoroughly enjoyed this bread), for giving me a zucchini fresh-picked from their garden! Share and share alike! 😉 😀

The end results were outstanding! I’m pretty sure this truly is the best sweet bread I’ve made so far!! You’re going to be in chocolate heaven with this one! 😀

Because, this is one super chocolatey, moist, dense, rich treat!! And the white chocolate chips, pecans and blueberry craisins all went together like they were made for each other! I’m not even going to say how fast we went through our loaf. And I was scared that my hubby was going to raid the neighbor’s fridge in the middle of the night bingeing for more! Oh, let’s be honest, I would’ve led the raid myself and made him the lookout! 😉 😀

So I hope you enjoy and make this SOON! And feel free to send me the second one! 😉 Take care all, and have a great weekend! ~Kelly

Yield: 8

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread with White Chocolate Chips, Blueberry Craisins & Pecans

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups lightly packed peeled and grated zucchini
1 (1 oz.) square unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled down to just warm or room temp

Rest of Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice Infused Craisins
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

In large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients until very well mixed. Set aside.

In small bowl, melt baking chocolate according to directions, do not scorch, stir well and set aside to cool down.

In mixer, beat eggs until foamy, add rest of wet ingredients, except chocolate, and beat well. Scrape bowl and beat in one cup of the dry ingredients well, slowly add melted, cooled but still stirrable, chocolate. Beat in rest of dry ingredients.

Fold in chips, craisins and pecans. Pour into two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans that have been greased with butter-flavored Crisco shortening and lightly coated with flour. (Bottom and sides.)

Pop into preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 65-75 minutes. (Mine took 73 minutes, but all ovens bake differently.) Remove pans from oven and place on rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes.

Run a knife around edges if needed, and carefully turn out onto rack to cool completely. When cool, wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least for several hours. Bread stays moist for days tightly wrapped.