Now that school has started for us, I need to have some after school snacks ready to go.  This is by far our families favorite zucchini bread.  It is soft, fluffy and is healthy.  It is a great for that after school snack.

Ingredients:

• Butter and flour for preparing baking pans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3½ cups grated zucchini (you can use as few as 2 cups and as much as 4 cups, I usually use 3 cups)
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup apple sauce
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2¼ cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and lightly flour two 8”x4” loaf pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine.

Shred zucchini, lightly packing it down as you measure it.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix very well.

Slowly add the dry ingredients (about 1/3 at a time) mixing as you go – then beat well to fully combine.

With a rubber scraper or wooden spoon, stir in shredded zucchini and nuts into the batter and mix well.

Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out cleanly. (The bake time will vary depending on how much shredded zucchini you add to the batter.)

Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.