Karen's Zucchini Bread

Most zucchini bread recipes lean on a full cup of oil for moisture. This one uses a half cup of applesauce instead, which keeps both loaves genuinely moist while cutting the fat significantly.

Two cups of shredded zucchini, a cup of raisins, and three teaspoons each of vanilla and cinnamon round out the flavor. The foamy egg beat at the start matters: it traps air that gives the dense batter some lift during the long bake.

Makes two loaves. One for now, one for the freezer, which is the practical reason this recipe has survived in family collections for decades.

Baker’s Tips

• Peel and seed the zucchini before shredding for a cleaner texture in the finished bread
• Do not squeeze the moisture from the shredded zucchini. That liquid keeps the crumb from drying out
• Both loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean