Exotic taste of cherimoya fruit upgrades zucchini bread

By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com
I use cherimoya in this recipe because it has been described as the tastiest fruit on Earth. It cost me about $5 for just one but I am glad I went to that expense.

It is a tropical fruit but is widely available in New England from late summer right up until the beginning of winter. The local supermarkets carry it frequently. However, if you have a hard time finding it or don’t want to pay the price, substitute mashed peaches, mangoes, bananas or any other type of soft fruit.

The tropical cherimoya makes a wonderful zucchini bread.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup mashed cherimoya*
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in the next 7 ingredients well. Pour into prepared pan and bake 44 to 46 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch in the center. Remove from oven, loosen the sides with a butter knife and let cool until handle. Remove from the pan and place on a serving platter. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Drizzle with lemon glaze and enjoy.
Lemon glaze: Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice.

*Cherimoyas are notorious for having abundant seeds so you will have no choice but to dig every one of them out with a fork or spoon, depending on how ripe this fruit is. But take a taste of it when de-seeding. Tell me if you don’t agree that the beautiful taste of apple, banana and pineapple all combined into one fruit isn’t well worth this expense at least once a year.

Schiffer Books of Pennsylvania has released Jim Bailey’s new book The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen. It contains more than 550 traditional New England comfort-food recipes tweaked for today’s palates with hundreds of kitchen tips and food facts. The hardback book is 312 pages and contains 200 color images. Its ISBN is 978-0-7643-4191-5 and the cost is $34.99. The book can be ordered through Misty Valley Books, 802-875-3400.