Courgette Brekkie Loaf

So the courgette baking continued with this courgette loaf – I warn you, one slice just isn’t enough.  It’s a mix between a tea loaf, cake and sweet bread – which of course makes it perfect for brekkie.  Delicious fresh with butter or a drizzle of honey, or even just on it’s own.

I used yellow courgettes and definitely keep the skin on as it gives some lovely yellow flecks through the loaf (green is good too) – or you could go mad and use both yellow and green.

You can also freeze it – so a great way to continue using up those courgettes. It’s a good idea to slice it once cold before freezing it, so you can grab a slice at a time, although I have frozen a whole loaf as I have plans to eat it all during a family holiday in October!

This makes two loafs (1 litre loaf tins)

courgette bread 1

Courgette Brekkie Loaf

  • 2oog wholemeal plain flour
  • 200g white plain flour
  • 100g spelt flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 300g golden caster sugar
  • A small grating of nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 50g pecan nuts (broken up)
  • 50g walnuts (broken up)
  • 100g raisons
  • 250g melted butter
  • 100ml milk
  • 3 beaten eggs
  • 400g courgettes – grated with skin on

Method

Set oven to 180c/350f/Gas 4

Grease and line the loaf tins (two 1 litre tins)

  • Mix the flours, baking powder, bicarb, sugar, nutmeg, spice, salt, coconut, raisons and nuts together in a big bowl.
  • In a separate bowl – mix together the butter, milk and eggs.  Then mix this into the dry ingredients.
  • Add the grated courgettes and mix well.
  • Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tins.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes.  The loaf should be a light golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Once cool enough to handle (how many times have you burnt yourself trying to remove cakes from tins!) – remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack.

You can of course eat this warm – but it slices better once cool, otherwise it may be a bit crumbly.

courgette bread 2

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Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

I’ve been baking over the bank holiday weekend trying to make a dent in the current crop of courgettes from the allotment. I’ve trialled a few different courgette muffin recipes and I think I’ve finally cracked it with this one.  I was watching the new series of the Great British Bake off – and the drizzle cake challenge gave me ideas!

The drizzle adds an extra layer of flavour and moistness – I did a taste test, some with drizzle and some without, and the drizzle definitely won.  These also freeze well – in case you don’t eat them all at once.

Courgette, lemon and seeds drizzle muffins

Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

  • 280g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 egg
  • 100ml rapeseed oil
  • 100ml almond milk
  • 250g grated courgette (keep the skin on – I used yellow courgettes, but green are good too)
For the Drizzle
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or castor sugar)

Method

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarb, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, poppy and chia seeds.
  • In another bowl mix the lemon juice, oil, egg and milk.  Add this to the dry ingredients and combine well.
  • Add the grated courgette and mix in.
  • Divide into muffin tins (lined with muffin cases) and bake for 20-25 minutes – 200c/400f/Gas 6.  They should go golden brown on the top and a skewer (cocktail stick) comes out clean.
  • Make the Drizzle – put the lemon juice in a pan and add the sugar – simmer over a very gentle heat for a couple of minutes to dissolve the sugar.
  • Whilst the muffins are still warm prick the top of each muffin a few times with a cocktail stick.
  • Drizzle around 1/2 teaspoon over the top of each muffin
  • Leave the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.