This Is This Week

This week…

The need to use the overwhelming supply of zucchini coming from our garden prompted me to make a variety of muffins.

It all began with a basic whole wheat chocolate zucchini muffin.

But then I decided that a chocolate peanut butter zucchini muffin would be better.

And then I wanted to share these muffins with my lovely miniature gluten-free friends (i.e. Robyn and Joy’s kiddos).

So thus, an “amaze-balls” zucchini muffin recipe was born.

Amaze-balls was the exact word that A used to describe the initial muffin. And his approval of the muffins continued through all variations.

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose 1-to-1 gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder, reserved
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used both an unsweetened fresh ground creamy peanut butter and your traditional oil- and sugar-added peanut butters with success)
• 2/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 2 Tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 Tablespoons water (the equivalent of two eggs; let sit 5 minutes to thicken)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extra
• roughly 4 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks with success)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and grease or line muffin pan.
2. Stir dry ingredients together, remembering to reserve the cocoa powder.
3. Meanwhile, warm milk, peanut butter, and sweetener in pan on stove over medium-low heat. Once warmed and well combined, stir in cocoa powder and mix until smooth. It will thicken up a bit, but this is OK.
4. In separate mixing bowl, combine this heated chocolate mixture with the flax egg and vanilla. Stir to combine before adding the shredded zucchini. Mix well.
5. Gently fold in dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix the ingredients.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Use a large ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups. I like to make rather large muffins, so you will likely get 14-16 muffins. You can make smaller muffins to yield a larger quantity; just reduce the baking time accordingly.
8. Bake 20-22 minutes on the middle rack or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Let cool in pan a few minutes before using a butter knife to gently run around the edges of each muffin. Then remove to a cooling rack.
10. Enjoy with extra peanut butter and mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top for a decadent treat or spoon on some all fruit spread for a more wholesome breakfast option.