What could be better than a yummy hunk of cornbread with some ribs or grilled chicken? The answer is Zucchini Cornbread! It is moist and delicious, and even sneak another vegetable into your meal. This cornbread is also great with chili, soup, snacks, and even breakfast.
Here in the Northeast, folks are enjoying the summer days. This includes planning family trips, having friends over for barbecues, enjoying days at the beach, and of course, trying to grow vegetables in our gardens. It seems like every summer magazine cover and morning news program are talking about what to do with all of that garden zucchini that won't stop growing. I have seen recipes for grilled zucchini, zucchini soup, and of course, the ever-present zucchini noodles which I've covered in a previous post you can view here. But even with all of these ideas, I always seem to be looking for more. I decided zucchini would be the perfect addition to cornbread, which often makes an appearance at summer barbecues. And you know what? It turned great!
Ingredients for Zucchini Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 stick of salted butter (4 tablespoons), melted slightly cooled
2 eggs
2 cups of zucchini, shredded and moisture squeezed out prior to measuring
You will also need a 8" x 8" or a 9" x 9" baking pan, parchment paper and some cooking spray.
Time Saving Tip: Have your sons shred the zucchini!
* I am a big fan of unsalted butter. I use it for baking, cooking, and even buttering my toast! At the protest of my family, I purchased some salted butter and ended up using it in this recipe. If you only have unsalted butter, add a little more salt to the method.
* The smaller pan will produce a taller baked product. Be careful when baking the larger pan will take less time to bake.
Let's see what we need!
Now let's get baking!
Preheat your oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Prepare the pan for baking. Cut out a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom of the pan and place it in the bottom. Lightly spray the entire pan, including the parchment-covered bottom as well as the sides of the pan.
Grate the zucchini by hand or by using a food processor. When using a food processor, make sure to pulse and don't let the processor run. Grate a little more than two cups.
It's essential to get rid of most of the moisture from the zucchini. It works best to place the shredded zucchini on top of a couple of layers of paper towels. Pull off the sides of the towel and then squeeze with your hands. Feel free to use a cotton towel instead of the paper. Once this process is complete, measure out two cups of the zucchini to mix in the batter.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. I used medium ground cornmeal for this recipe because I like to feel the texture of the cornmeal. However, a finer coarse would also work.
Combine the buttermilk, honey, lightly beaten eggs, and cooled melted butter. Then, gently stir these wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
Add the zucchini and gently combine. Even though we squashed the zucchini (no pun intended), we don't want to break it up in the bowl. Stir lightly; over-stirring will make for a less tender baked product.
Spread the batter evenly in pan. Now it's ready for the oven. It should take around 25-30 minutes to bake. But since I am not sure what size pan everyone is using, start checking at 25 minutes. Do this by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If wet gooey clumps stick to the pick, the bread needs more baking time. It the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready!
Yay! It's ready! And did I already mention to you that it is delicious? Go ahead, try some warm with some butter...salted or unsalted you decide.
If you're anything like my younger son you might even like to drizzle some honey on the bread. Steven loves it that way!
Enjoy!
Zucchini Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 stick of salted butter (4 tablespoons), melted slightly cooled
2 eggs
2 cups of zucchini, shredded and moisture squeezed out prior to measuring
You will also need a 8" x 8" or a 9" x 9" baking pan, parchment paper and some cooking spray. The smaller pan will produce a taller baked product. Be careful when baking the larger pan will take less time to bake.
Preheat your oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Prepare the pan for baking. Cut out a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom of the pan and place it in the bottom. Lightly spray the entire pan, including the parchment-covered bottom as well as the sides of the pan.
Grate the zucchini by hand or by using a food processor. When using a food processor, make sure to pulse and don't let the processor run. Grate a little more than two cups.
It's essential to get rid of most of the moisture from the zucchini. It works best to place the shredded zucchini on top of a couple of layers of paper towels. Pull off the sides of the towel and then squeeze with your hands. Feel free to use a cotton towel instead of the paper. Once this process is complete, measure out two cups of the zucchini to mix in the batter.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. I used medium ground cornmeal for this recipe because I like to feel the texture of the cornmeal. However, a finer coarse would also work.
Combine the buttermilk, honey, lightly beaten eggs, and cooled melted butter. Then, gently stir these wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
Add the zucchini and gently combine. Even though we squashed the zucchini (no pun intended), we don't want to break it up in the bowl. Stir lightly; over-stirring will make for a less tender baked product.
Spread the batter evenly in pan. Now it's ready for the oven. It should take around 25-30 minutes to bake. But since I am not sure what size pan everyone is using, start checking at 25 minutes. Do this by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the bread. If wet gooey clumps stick to the pick, the bread needs more baking time. It the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready!
Time Saving Tip: Have your sons shred the zucchini!
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