Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Baking Up Summer -- Zucchini Muffins #recipe from author @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Eat your vegetables! But what of all those zucchini? Put them in muffins! These are a basic, slightly cake-y muffin that freeze beautifully. And when we have a bumper crop of zucchini, I grate the extras, pack two cups of grated zucchini in a small plastic bag, and freeze. Then next winter, when we’ve got a longing for a taste of summer, it’s easy to thaw the grated zucchini by letting them sit for an hour or two in a colander.

This recipe can easily be adapted for other flavor combinations. Instead of the zucchini, add 2 cups grated apple and a teaspoon of freshly grated lemon peel, or 1-1/2 cups mashed overripe banana (about 2 bananas), and eliminate the cardamom.

Congratulations to Linda Wiken on the release today of TOASTING UP TROUBLE, first in the Dinner Club Mystery series! 

Zucchini Muffins

2 cups grated zucchini
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup raisins or currants
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or spray a standard muffin baking tin.



Grate the zucchini.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini.




In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine, careful not to over-mix. Fold in the raisins and nuts.

Spoon into muffin tins and bake 20-25 minutes, until slightly puffed and golden, and a knife or cake tester comes out clean.







Makes 12 standard muffins.


From the cover of GUILTY AS CINNAMON: 

Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the next Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper.

Pepper Reece knows that fiery flavors are the spice of life. But when a customer dies of a chili overdose, she finds herself in hot pursuit of a murderer…

GUILTY AS CINNAMON is now available in audiobook! The large print edition will be available mid-August. KILLING THYME will be published in October, 2016.


Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model and avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website  and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebookwhere I often share news of new books and giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

12 comments:

  1. Great blog thanks, I'm looking forward to reading this
    Thanks Penney

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love baking with zucchini. It's like magic. You would never guess that it's in there but it makes everything so heavenly moist. Thanks for the reminder. When our zucchini comes in, I have to make my zucchini walnut chocolate cake again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course my post reminded you of CAKE!!!

      At a party Sunday, I ate a slice of pound cake with creme anglaise and blueberries -- and thought of you. It was heavenly.

      Delete
  3. I love the idea of the cardamom.
    And the freezing some for the winter is a great idea, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Libby -- I love freezing muffins, 4 to a bag, to pull out on Sunday mornings when I'd love a muffin but don't want to bake! Enjoy!

      Delete
  4. Going to have to try those muffins. Have done stuffed, bread, crisps and cake. But not muffins. Thanks for the recipe. does look good Della

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Della, watch for my tangy summer vegetable salad recipe in two weeks -- more Things To Do With Zucchini!

      Delete
  5. I planted two zucchini plants in the flower bed here at the cabin. I will probably be looking for recipes soon...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cant wait for the new release!!

    ReplyDelete