Not Your Mom's Zucchini Bread

Yes, another zucchini bread recipe but this is soooo good. You've got to try just once. Sometimes I substitute 1 cup of the all purpose flour with whole wheat. The flax seed is optional, but no one really notices it, so I can boost the nutrition up a bit. THE LAST THREE INGREDIENTS ARE FOR THE CRUMB MIXTURE, IT WAS NOT LETTING ME LABEL THAT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup applesauce
• 1⁄4 cup butter, melted
• 1  egg
• 1  egg white
• 1  cup zucchini, shredded
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) or 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

• FOR THE CRUMB MIXTURE

• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3  tablespoons  of chilled butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with veggie cooking spray.
3. To prepare crumb mixture, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Reserve 2 tablespoons.
4. In a large bowl combine flour, flax seed, baking powder and baking soda.
5. In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, sugar, applesauce, butter, egg and egg white.
6. Mix well.
7. Add egg mixture to flour mixture stirring until just combined.
8. Stir in zucchini, walnuts or chocolate chips.
9. Pour half the batter into a prepared pan.
10. Sprinkle crumb mixture over batter.
11. Pour remaining batter over the top.
12. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
13. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from center of the loaf, about 55 minutes.