Delicious Zucchini Cupcakes: Stocking The Freezer For Handy Lunch Box Snacks

My boys have recently developed a crush on Zucchini Bread.  So I’ve been making it and freezing it while the Zucchini is in season. 

Today, however, I made a triple batch of batter and filled two cupcake trays along with my normal bread pan. 

Quick Breads (like Zucchini, Pumpkin, and Banana Bread) freeze well.  Plus, the cupcakes make handy lunch box treats!  Tonight, the boys were thrilled to find some in the cooler after soccer practice.  (I freeze them in baggies of three and just grab a bag on the way out the door.  How easy is that??)

Zucchini Bread recipes abound, but this one is deliciously moist!  Here it is, my favorite recipe, adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book:

Zucchini Bread

• 1 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon (I add just a little more)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg (Again, I add just a little more)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup Shredded Unpeeled Zucchini (I put mine in the food processor because my boys don’t like to “see” the zucchini)
• 1/4 Cup Cooking Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 tsp Finely shredded lemon peel (I use a squirt of lemon juice)
• 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (My boys won’t eat nuts, so I skip this)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, then combine.  Pour batter into greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes, or till tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not over cook.

For cupcakes, I cook them about 30 minutes. 

To freeze the cupcakes:  Remove them from the cupcake tin to a cookie sheet and freeze overnight.  Then seal them in baggies in convenient numbers for your needs. 

Also, I like to spray cooking oil in the pans and then use a bit of sugar to coat the bottom and edges.  It works the same and gives the bread a hint of sweetness that my boys enjoy! 

Check out what else is cooking at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! and Tasty Tuesday!