Recipe: No butter, no refined sugar in this morning treat
For all the thousands of muffin recipes out there, not all that many balance nutrition with morning comfort.
I've baked a lot of muffins over the years, always looking for new recipes for whatever produce I have in the house. What I find often leans heavily on butter and sugar, the fresh produce buried under a nut/sugar/butter streusel topping.
Zucchini is still big here at Produce Management Central. I have a fabulous chocolate zucchini muffin recipe (basically chocolate zucchini bread baked in muffin tins) but was open to something different. I ran across a lemon zucchini cookie recipe, which made me think there must be versions of lemon zucchini muffins out there. Indeed, even King Arthur Flour has one , although the zucchini plays a very small role in that.
But the recipe that intrigued me most shows up on iFOODreal.com , a lemon zucchini muffin with a topping that is not streusel: It combines lemon zest, coconut flakes, honey and rolled oats, and not too much of any of that. A bit of coconut oil helps hold the topping together. So I adapted this recipe based on what I had on hand and what I know about making muffins.
Note: The sour cream or yogurt is an important part of the leavening process in this recipe. And nonfat sour cream or yogurt won't work here -- you need a little fat to help hold the muffin together.
The recipe didn't use up all the zucchini in my vegetable drawer, but it does boast whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. I chose whole wheat pastry flour because I had it, but regular will work fine, too. Next time I might mix some coconut into the batter, or maybe some bits of uncrystallized ginger.
In any case, the resulting baked good is light and delicious, perfect for a morning treat alongside a cup of coffee or tea.
Lemon Zucchini Muffins
Adapted from iFOODreal.com
Make 12 muffins
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (Greek or regular, but not fat-free)
1/2 cup agave, honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons liquid coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 cups shredded zucchini, about 8 ounces before trimming, lightly patted to remove some moisture
2-1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1/4 cup rolled or quick oats
1 tablespoon honey or agave or maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)
Zest of 1 large lemon
3 generous tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with oil spray.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs briefly, then stir in the sour cream or yogurt, whatever liquid sweetener you're using, the oil and the lemon zest and juice, until thoroughly blended. Fold in the zucchini shreds.
In a smaller bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside while you make the topping.
In another bowl, use a fork to stir together the oats, honey (or other liquid sweetener), coconut oil, zest and the coconut flakes.
Now that the topping's ready, finish the batter by gently blending the flour mixture into the egg-zucchini mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Lumps are OK.
Fill the muffin cups evenly; they'll be quite full. (You'll notice that the baking soda quickly reacts with the lemon juice and sour cream or yogurt, so don't tarry in filling the muffin cups with batter or you'll lose all that wonderful leavening action.)
Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the batter tests done. (It should spring back from a light tap.)
Remove pan from oven and allow muffins to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.