Sunday, May 17, 2015

Pineapple Zucchini Bread #Recipe by Karen Rose Smith



Part of the fun of writing a cozy mystery series is developing recipes.  My sleuth, Caprice De Luca, home stager extraordinaire, loves her big Italian family.  Once a month they have dinner at her childhood home.  Her mom, Nana, sisters Bella and Nikki as well as Caprice all make something for the dinner.  Brother Vince usually brings wine.

I learned to cook watching my mom, grandma and aunt.  Spending the time in the kitchen with them was priceless as I learned to bake and cook by instinct as well as by recipe.  Caprice cooks the same way.

Here is a recipe I created to give to my readers that you can make in addition to the ones in my Caprice De Luca series. With summer coming and zucchini more plentiful, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Grease and flour two 5 x 9 1/4" foil bread pans Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups flour
1 cup Rice Krispies
In large bowl beat eggs and oil until eggs are yellow and mixed with oil. Add pineapple, zucchini and vanilla and mix again. Add baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix on low until blended. Beat in white and brown sugars and nuts. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, then Rice Krispies.
Bake 55-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Great warm or cool to room temperature. Refrigerate left overs if there are any!





USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 87th novel will be released in 2015.

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 


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©2015 Karen Rose Smith


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