Frosted Zucchini Bars

Zucchini is a type of summer squash with many culinary uses. While often cooked, it's great in salads, dips, wraps, and even spiralized to make low-carb noodles.
My neighbor had 50 and wanted to give me 10. But I took only 1 since we are just a party of two, and this zucchini certainly was a hefty size. It was perfect when cut in half to use on my spiralizer machine. My husband was enlisted for this step. He kept turning the handle saying, "Is this enough?" while I was shouting, "Stop! Stop!" 

So now I have massive amounts of zucchini in a recipe that only calls for 2 cups. I will now be making low-carb noodles for tomorrow's supper. 

Frosted Zucchini Bars

Cook's Notes: The cake was moist and a delicious pick-me-up snack on sunny summer day. The recipe was adapted from Bakeandbread
Cooking Tip: Place a clean, thick kitchen towel on the counter. Spread the zucchini out and roll it up in the towel to squeeze out moisture. Spread it out on the towel to dry slightly while assembling the bars.

Bar Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground Saigon cinnamon or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, well-drained (about 2 medium zucchini)
• 1 /2 cup each of toasted chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) and coconut, reserve some for frosting garnish

Frosting Ingredients:

• 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Milk as needed
• Chopped nuts and coconut for garnish

Bar Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the zucchini and 1/2 cup (total) nuts and coconut.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the bars are golden brown and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Frosting Directions:

• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
• Gradually add in the sugar and milk until the frosting consistency is smooth.
• Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts and coconut over the top.