Chocolate Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

For our annual Hanukkah party, I always look for desserts made with olive oil. With a dessert menu that already included an apple cake, banana bread, and hot churros, Dr. S suggested something chocolatey. Flipping through a recent cookbook purchase led me to a cake that checked all the boxes.

The recipe is by Tara O’Brady, from her Seven Spoons cookbook from a few years ago. It’s made with both AP and whole-wheat flour, and includes chocolate chunks and walnuts. The most time-consuming part is preparing the squash. It’s not mentioned in the version I linked above, but the book mentions blotting the zucchini shreds between paper towels. For maximum dryness, I used a cheesecloth to wring out a substantial amount of liquid.

Predictably, this quick bread was a hit, especially with kids. It’s moist and a little dense, and full of flavour. I gleefully told everyone it’s even a little bit good for you, because of the whole wheat flour.