Well good morning, sunshine!
A lot of Food For Thought readers have been asking me what to do with the extra zucchini from their gardens. Rumor has it that there is a plethora of zucchini in our area that needs our help. I usually suggest a few savory baked zucchini recipes, or something on the grill.
What I really love is baking with the green veggie. Zucchini really shines when it is added to baked goodies. Zucchini adds moisture to baked treats, and is truly delightful when paired with chocolate. Yes, I did say chocolate. Trust me. When it comes to baking sweet treats with zucchini, my favorite is a little creation that I like to call the Good Morning Sunshine Muffin. I like to add walnuts, flax or pine nuts. The last batch I made I even tossed in a handful of dried cherries. The choice is yours. Make the muffin your special good morning treat!
Good Morning Sunshine Muffins
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup expeller pressed canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cherries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pans with liners
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. In a large bowl beat sugar and oil until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix in grated zucchini, chocolate, and nuts. Scoop batter into prepared pans.
Bake about 30 minutes, or unto a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins
Enjoy!
Note: this “best of” article was originally posted in 2008.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit my blog at bakerslove.typepad.com.