Every summer, I get an itch to bake with zucchini. Most of the time it’s spurred by an abundance of freshly-picked zucchini straight from the garden of a family member. It reminds me so much of the massive garden that my grandpap used to keep – he had rows upon rows of vegetables, an entire “bed” built with cinder blocks just for lettuce and even some melons along the side of the house. It was his passion and my grandma made sure that absolutely nothing was wasted.
So now, when I’m gifted with the fruits of a garden, I try to ensure that nothing goes to waste. When it comes to zucchini, I feel like I’ve made approximately eleventy billion versions of zucchini bread, but nothing in the muffin department. Problem solved with these sweet, slightly spiced zucchini muffins!
The combination of zucchini and orange is fantastic, and it goes perfectly with the cinnamon, dried cranberries and pecans. While zucchini is a quintessential summer flavor, these muffins definitely deliver a taste of fall. It’s the perfect recipe for late summer, when vacations are winding down, kids are heading back to school and the air is starting to feel a little bit crisp at night. The best part of these muffins? You can be eating them within an hour of starting the recipe, which is always a win!
I’ll eat a few while I daydream about the massive garden I hope to build one day!
Five years ago: Chewy, Chunky Blondies
Six years ago: How to Make Pastry Cream
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Zucchini muffins spiced with cinnamon and loaded with orange marmalade, dried cranberries and chopped pecans.
Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ of 1 small zucchini (4 ounces), shredded and drained dry
¾ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pecans, coarsely choppedDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, orange marmalade and vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the shredded zucchini.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, along with the cranberries and pecans and fold until completely combined and no dry pockets remain (the batter will be thick).
5. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. (You can also freeze them by removing the paper liners, wrapping individually in plastic wrap and placing in a ziploc freezer bag.)
(Recipe adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book)
Source:
http://ift.tt/1Mz9lc7