My daughters’ complain that I never bake. Although my tastes tend to run more savory than sweet, I also avoid baking to avoid the extra calories and fat it implies. A few weeks ago, I promised my daughter Olivia I would bake something for her. I went to my most recent favorite zucchini recipe in my most recent favorite cookbook, Babycakes, Vegan, Gluten-Free and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked About Bakery. I know I just talked about this book with my post of the double chocolate chip cookies but I tell you, this book has inspired me to bake! The idea of creating delicious decadence with healthier ingredients makes baking fun again.
These recipes use coconut oil as their favored fat. Although it can be more expensive, according to the author, Erin McKenna “it is high in omega-3 fatty acids, packed with lauric acid, stores in your body as energy and not fat and supports the proper functioning of the thyroid, thus stimulating the metabolism.” This is a big improvement over traditional fats used in baking.
I made these once before with melt in your mouth results, so I was ready to repeat the experience. I had two large organic zucchini sitting in my refrigerator. Every time I consider the zucchini, I feel a loving feeling in my heart because my relationship with my husband began with a zucchini baked good. We met in the late 70’s when zucchini bread was hip (hip?), yes I know I sound totally unhip when I say that! Anyway, my dear friend Rosanne had made this particular zucchini bread for a party given by another friend of ours. So it came to be that Rose and I were standing by her zucchini bread when my would be husband and his friend wandered in, drawn to the zucchini heaven on a plate. And so it began. Here’s a wonderful zucchini muffin recipe, almost 33 years later, from Babycakes Bakery with coconut oil, spelt flour, rice milk, agave nectar and flax meal for a more health-conscious snack. The best praise? Olivia said “This is the most delicious muffin I have ever eaten!”
Ingredients:
2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 cup flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup rice milk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. (I did this but found the muffins moist and oily enough to probably not need this. Also made me wonder if I could cut back on the coconut oil!)
Whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add the coconut oil, agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Fold in the zucchini until evenly distributed.
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each muffin liner and bake for 22 minutes, rotating 180 degrees after 15 minutes.
Let the muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I am going to try to freeze a few of these and see how well this works.
Ann Arbor Vegan 