Do you ever have a recipe that everyone raves about, but you just can’t get into it? I recently received a zucchini that was as big as my arm, and my first thought was zucchini bread! I grew up enjoying zucchini bread all the time, but most of my friends had never even tried it—can you believe that?

I decided to whip up a batch, and the reactions were great! Everyone loved it, but it just didn’t taste like the zucchini bread I was used to. I have such fond memories of the one from a farmer’s market in Long Beach, right in front of Cabrillo. I think they stopped selling it ages ago. My aunts would occasionally make it, and my mom tried her hand at it a couple of times, but it wasn’t really her thing, so we often bought it instead. 

The bread I grew up with had this perfect, rich golden-brown crust, similar to banana bread. We would get three different kinds: regular, chocolate zucchini, and chocolate chip zucchini—yum! But I always ended up with the regular since that was what I had to work with. I used the generic recipe my mom mentioned, but it just didn’t capture the magic of the one I remembered. I totally understand why she didn’t make it more often if the recipe I used was what she had tried. It wasn’t bad, not at all, just not quite what I was hoping for. 

I will share the recipe my mom gave me, but now I’m going to experiment. I’m going to try to recreate the dish I knew as a kid. Is it possible to recreate a recipe just by taste? I’m not sure, but we will find out!

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini, about 4 zucchini
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup butter melted (1 ½ sticks)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour properly measured
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans. I like to use nonstick spray with flour. Set aside.
2. Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink while you continue.
3. 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
4. Mix sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and butter in a large bowl.
5. 1 ½ cup granulated sugar,2 large eggs,2 teaspoons vanilla extract,1/4 teaspoon kosher salt,3/4 cup butter
   1. The butter should be just melted but not hot. 
6. Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon, and whisk in until just combined.
7. 3 cups all-purpose flour,2 teaspoons baking soda,2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8. Stir in grated zucchini until just incorporated.
9. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans.
10. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.4
11. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
12. Run a thin knife around the edges, and remove the zucchini bread onto wire cooling racks to finish cooling.

Happy Pi Day, everyone! It’s March 14th, and I have a delightful little story to share! I recently moved, and to show my gratitude to my amazing friends who lent a helping hand, I decided to whip up some scrumptious apple pies. Well, kind of! My oven’s pilot light decided to go on strike, so instead of baking them myself, I prepped everything and sent the pies home with my friends to finish the baking. They were such great sports about it!

I made a classic Dutch apple pie, and let me tell you, I really know how to make a pie crust! But do I do it often? Not! I mean, premade pie crust exists for a reason, and honestly, no one can tell the difference! So, pick your favorite premade pie crust or recipe, and let’s get started!

For the pecan-streusel topping: 

1. 6  tablespoons cold, salted butter, cut into cubes or slices
2. 1/2  cup sugar
3. 1/2  cup all-purpose flour
4. 1/2  cup old-fashioned, uncooked oats, not quick-cooking or instant
5. 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon 
6. 1  cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional; you can use no nuts)

For the pie filling:

1. 1 1/2  pounds peeled, cored, and thinly sliced Granny Smith Apples (Note:  I got 1 1/2 pounds from 4 large, 9-ounce apples.  If your apples are smaller, you may need 6-7 apples.)
2. 1/2  cup sugar
3. 6  tablespoons all-purpose flour
4. 1  cup sour cream
5. 1  teaspoon lemon juice
6. 1/2  teaspoon pure apple extract*
7. 1/2  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8. 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
9. 1/4  teaspoon ground cloves
10. 1/8  teaspoon ground nutmeg
11. 1/4  teaspoon sea salt

Prepare the walnut-streusel topping: 

1. Using a pastry blender and a sharp knife in a medium mixing bowl, “cut” the butter into the sugar, flour, and cinnamon until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.
2. Fold in the nuts, which are the same size as the butter pieces.

Prepare the pie filling:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt using a large rubber spatula. 
2. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and extracts.  
3. Thoroughly stir.  The mixture should be smooth and uniform in color.  Set aside.
4.  Peel,  slice, and add the apples in increments as you work, stirring into the sour cream mixture each time.
5. This will ensure the apples get thoroughly and evenly coated in the sour cream mixture.

Prepare the pie:

1. Spoon the pie filling into the pie shell. Take your time; don’t dump it in.
2. Spoon the streusel topping evenly over the pie filling, taking the time to spread it into the edges and mound it towards the center.  Do not pack it or anything down.  Keep it light and airy.
3. Bake on the center rack of a 350-degree oven for 1 hour. 
4.  After the first 30 minutes in the oven, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pie.  Make no attempt to seal it.  The foil sheet is there for protection, to keep the walnuts from burning. 

You’re typically meant to let the pie cool for about 4 to 6 hours before serving, but honestly, we don’t usually stick to that! I like to whip up the pie before dinner when I’m hosting and then serve it afterward. So, it usually gets around 2 hours to cool in my home. It still tastes great, though!

Here’s a fun little secret that I just have to share with you! During my time at a bakery, we had this amazing trick up our sleeves: we’d add a splash of Amaretto Liqueur to the pie filling! This little twist gives the filling an incredible flavor boost that takes it to the next level. Don’t worry; it’s not enough to make anyone tipsy—just pure deliciousness in every bite!

Happy May the Fourth!!!

I love science fiction and fantasy. I grew up watching Star Trek with my parents and later fell into Dr. Who and Star Wars. 

Now I’m not into it enough to get a tattoo for star wars, but it has a special place in my heart. 

I’d love to make an elaborate party and have everyone dress up in costumes. I would love to do a couple-costume with my partner. We would be the perfect R2-D2 and C-3PO. 

These cookies would be perfect for any Star Wars themed party or a Star Wars fan in your house. 

The Wookie Cookie is not a new idea. I’ve seen so many versions of this, and each one is so perfect. 

I started with a simple chocolate cookie recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla 
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate frosting 
• Sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. 
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined.
5. Place dough onto a lightly floured parchment paper or baking mat. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness with a lightly floured rolling pin. 
6. Use a cookie cutter to cut dough and press with a fork to make the fur.
7. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before decorating. 
8. Once cookies are cooled, decorate as desired. I used a piping bag without a tip to pipe Chewbacca’s sash and then added sprinkles.