Zucchini Muffins

Let me tell you about my mornings, circa one week ago: I would drag myself out of bed 15 minutes too late, shower, makeup, water and a vitamin, and then out the door to the train. By the time I get to work I'm ravenous, and runnng on fumes. I succumb to the siren song of the coffee shop (literally three doors down from my office, I can smell donuts and muffins all day) and I indulge - daily- in a crummy (not crumbly) muffin, an oily croissant, or a nine-thousand calorie bagel. Not anymore my friends. Today I was up on time, ate a banana, my vitamin, drank my water and also scarfed down a chewy, moist, veggie laden muffin laced within enough walnuts and crystallized ginger to make me feel like I could open my own coffee shop. 

I wouldn't say these are necessarily a strictly breakfast muffin, and in short order you could probably sweeten and spice them, frost them with cream cheese frosting and make a (slightly) healthier cupcake. The ginger, along with the reserved nuts and zest that add cruch to the top go a long way toward making this a sweet and spicy treat at any time of day.

I found the original recipe for these beauties over at 101 Cookbooks, which (for someone as afraid of baking as I am) is an INDISPENSIBLE website (but you already knew that, right? Forgive me, I'm sort of new here.) I removed the poppy seeds, added some flax seed (these are breakfast muffins, right?) and changed around the spices a little bit, to incorporate a spice that my Lebanese neighbors have me hooked on: allspice. (I'll be sad when winter comes and I'm not able to smell what my neighbors are cooking when I get home. Its always inspiring) You very well could take this into a harvest – muffin area and sub out some of the zucchini for shredded carrots, shredded beets etc. I wouldn’t eliminate the zucchini entirely without making some adjustments to ensure there is enough liquid in the mix. Feel free to pull out the nuts, flax seed, zest and ginger and sub in something you prefer (or nothing at all and have a traditional zucchini bread). Next time I make these, (which might be next week, the way zucchini is showing up on the farmer’s market tables) I am going to add toasted coconut, and maybe cocoa nibs, and eat it as a dessert..

Zucchini Muffins Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Note: this will make approx 24 muffins, or 12 muffins and a loaf of bread

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, fine dice

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

zest of one medium lemon

zest of one medium orange

1/2 cup - (1 stick) - unsalted butter

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups grated zucchini (3 medium) squeeze out most of the liquid before use

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup ground flax seed

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 tablespoon curry powder

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your muffin tin with liners or parchment paper squares

In a small bowl combine the walnuts, citrus zest, and diced ginger. Separate approx. ¼ cup. And set aside

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla extract and slowly add the grated zucchini

Separately combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Slowly add these to the wet ingredients on a low speed . Remove the bowl from your mixer and stir in the walnut-ginger mixture.

Fill your muffin tins. The mix will look wet, but it is supposed to. Bake for about 45 minutes and as soon as your fingers (or tongs) can handle it, pull the muffins from the tin to finish cooling, this will keep them from getting that slick skin common in quick breads.