Move over Zucchini Bread...

Every year my parents grow zucchini. They always have and probably always will. One summer when I was little they made ratatouille EVERY night for dinner. Needless to say, I'm not a big zucchini fan. I make tons of zucchini bread during the summer in my attempt to help my folks use up their harvest of mutant zucchinis. Ben loves it and I don't mind a slice or two (especially when it is slathered with butter)

Anyway, last night the DND guys were over and one of them brought a mutant zucchini from his brother's garden. He had given my dad some IT advice (shocking, right?) and so to thank him I told him I would turn that 5 lb zucchini into many loaves of bread. When he showed up he handed me a recipe his mom had given him. She said it was really good and that he should try it. Zucchini Cobbler.

Yeah, it sounded AWFUL. I tried to polite and not gag at the thought of a savory cobbler, but he told me to try it and I did. By the time it was done, it was past my bedtime, so I set it to cool and went to bed. This morning there was some left and Joj told me to try some. Yeah, no thanks. He said it tasted just like apples. Taking a small bit that was mostly crumb topping I tried it. He was right. It was actually good. You would NEVER know it wasn't apples.

The recipe originally came from Taste of Home.

Zucchini Cobbler

This is my Surprise Dessert! No one ever guesses that the "secret ingredient" is zucchini. Everyone says it tastes like apples. This cobbler is a great dessert to make for a potluck supper or to serve a crowd. It's been requested time and again in my house, and I'm always happy to make it. -Joanne Fazio, Carbondale, Pennsylvania.


16 - 20 Servings Prep: 35 min. Bake: 35
Ingredients
8 cups chopped seeded peeled zucchini (about 3 pounds)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crust
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; set aside.
For crust, combine the flour and sugar in a bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumb. Stir 1.2 cup into zucchini mixture. Press half of remaining crust mixture into a greased 15-in. x 10 in. baking pan. Spread zucchini over top; crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Yield: 16-20 servings.