Wednesday, October 15, 2014

honey, maple syrup and olive oil zucchini muffins

If you bake quite a bit, or if you are a regular reader of my blog, you would know that muffins that contain vegetables tend to be moist.

I like.

And if you use oil instead of butter, the muffin becomes more moist.

I like.

And! Substitute the sugar with a combination of maple syrup and honey. Oh gosh.

I really, really like.
The amazing thing about this muffin is that it really was not sweet at all. So if you are not as anti-sugar as I am, it is better to include maybe about 1/2 cup of brown sugar when you make the muffins. Alternatively, you can also drizzle on some maple syrup before serving as I had done for the kids.

I really like adding maple syrup to muffins. I love the smell of maple syrup!!
So here are the step-by-step instructions for making this ultra-moist muffin.

Start by grating the zucchini. Obviously the sizes of zucchini differ, so I would say two medium zucchini should be sufficient. A little more or less zucchini will not matter a great deal.
Add the beaten eggs and oil into the bowl. I used normal olive oil because I didn't want the taste of the oil to stand out too much. You can use extra virgin olive oil if you prefer. And yes, any vegetable oil would also work here.
 Add vanilla extract, maple syrup and honey.
You can play around with the ratios of the maple syrup and honey. I love maple syrup so I used more of it, but it is really up to you to change the ratios. You can even use all honey or maple syrup if you wish.
 Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
In another bowl, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar (if using). Stir until well combined.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl.
 Stir until the flour is just combined. Do not over mix!
 Dish the batter into lined muffin trays.
Bake at 175°C for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
I was going mad with the smell of maple syrup wafting out from the kitchen!

Cool the muffins in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I could not wait to eat one.
See the little specks of zucchini?
See?

Super love!

RECIPE
Honey, Maple Syrup and Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins (makes 15-16 regular sized muffins)
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
3 cups grated zucchini - I used about 2 whole zucchini
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla
1 cup (240ml) olive oil (light or mild tasting)
⅔ cup (160ml) real maple syrup
⅓ cup (80ml) raw honey, softened
½ cup brown sugar (optional)
1½ cups (120g) whole wheat flour - I used whole meal flour
1½ cups (187.5g) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon - I used ½ teaspoon

Method:
1. Start by grating the zucchini. Obviously the sizes of zucchini differ, so I would say two medium zucchini is sufficient. A little more or less zucchini will not matter a great deal.
2. Add the beaten eggs and oil into the bowl. I used normal olive oil because I didn't want the oil to stand out too much. You can use extra virgin olive oil if you prefer. And yes, any vegetable oil would also work here.
3.  Add vanilla extract, maple syrup and honey.
4. You can play around with the ratios of the maple syrup and honey. I love maple syrup so I used more of it, but it is really up to you to change the ratios. You can even use all honey or maple syrup if you wish.  Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
5. In another bowl, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar (if using). Stir until well combined.
6. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl.
7. Stir until the flour is just combined. Do not over mix!
8. Dish the batter into lined muffin trays.
9. Bake at 175°C for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
10. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I went to Ikea the day before to get a bed for my little girl and Christmas decorations are already being sold! Yes! It is THAT TIME OF THE YEAR to eat, drink and be merry! Are you getting excited? :)

Are you planning to cook anything special for this Christmas???  Or maybe start baking batches of delicious Christmas goodies? For Christmas 2014, Yen from Eat your heart out, Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and yours truly, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and  are cooking and celebrating for the whole month of December 2014 starting on 1st December. Join us and remember to link your post with us if you are cooking something special for your Christmas celebration.



1 comment:

  1. Hi Diana! Now I know what to do with the two zucchinis that are sleeping in my fridge!

    ReplyDelete