Soft Lemon Cranberry Zucchini Bread

Sometimes, when it has been a tiring, overwhelming day, and you feel like you've majorly sucked as a parent, as a human, and/or as a resident of the universe, you just have to bake. I mean really, you just have to get your "scratch" out and create something yummy that will make you, your kids and the universe feel a little more forgiving towards you.

I made this bread late last night,  after an uber mondo meltdown kind of day. After eating it this morning for breakfast, everybody seems to be in a little bit sunnier mood.

This is my current favorite zuke bread. I came up with this combo because my garden was pumping out the gorgeous green skinned squash and I have an abundance of dried cranberries passed along from my granny. The Husband is big on lemon water right now so there's all these lemon peels hanging around too. It was inspired by all the quick bread recipes in my Taste of Home cookbook.

It is perfect for breakfast, and makes a lovely lunch when topped by tomato preserves or jelly.

For this bread you will need

1 cup flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup whole oat flour
2 cups sugar
2 medium or 1 large finely shredded zuke
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon extract
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup finely shredded coconut(sometimes called macaroon coconut)
1/2 cup dried cranberries(or more to taste)

Mix all this up the pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or so. Loaves are finished when a pick inserted into center comes out clean, or with moist crumbs.

I always set them on a cooling rack when they are done baking and let them cool in the pan if they are for my family. If they are gifts, I usually let them cool for about ten minutes then remove the whole loaf from the pan and let it cool, naked on the rack.

When they are totally cooled, I wrap them in wax paper and tie them up with bakers twine, then add a little handmade tag.

Cute, AND yummy!

These loaves also freeze really well. I make them frequently in the fall to use for easy(and/or lazy) breakfasts all winter long.

As an aside, here are a few photos showing the disaster that is me baking, just in case anybody out there needs to feel less alone in their lack of neatness.

I literally cannot bake without creating some sort of disaster area. I've tried. It drives my husband nuts that I am such a slob, but hey, as soon as he shoves the food in his mouth, the complaints stop.

And what does he care if my cookbook pages stick together anyway?

It is not like he's using them...*wink* *wink*