Chocolate Zucchini Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup peanut oil or 1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups packed zucchini, grated, about 4 medium zucchini (see note*)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons flour
2 cups chopped nuts, to taste (highly desirable) (optional)

Preparation

Note*: grate zucchini and squeeze in paper towels to extract as much juice as possible before measuring. Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, apple sauce, and vanilla extract, and mix until well blended.
In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter, add 6 Tbsp cocoa powder, blend together until smooth, and set aside to cool.
If desired, peel the zucchini (we don't), grate it, and squeeze out and discard as much juice as you can before measuring.
Add zucchini and cooled cocoa mixture to the large mixing bowl, and blend well.
Sift together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add dry ingredients to the batter, and stir only enough to blend in all the dry ingredients; do not over-mix.
In another small bowl, coat the chocolate chips with the 2 Tsp flour.
This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
Stir the flour-coated chocolate chips into the batter.
Spoon the batter into 2 generously greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pans, and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, remove from pans, and continue to cool on a wire rack.