ZUCCHINI-CRANBERRY MUFFINS

Muffins are my go-to dessert when I have to have a sweet.  Sweets are becoming less a part of my life as my blood-sugar problems intensify.  This muffin is more like a breakfast muffin than a dessert muffin, since it’s not overly sweet.  Zucchini and applesauce lend moistness and flavor, and the craisins, walnuts and spices round everything out to make a muffin that is very light, slightly spicy, fruity and crunchy.  I’ll be making these again to be sure.

Zucchini Cranberry Muffins Adapted from Simply Recipes Rating:  9.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1 jumbo egg 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1 Tbsp. NuNaturals Stevia) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup melted butter (I used 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 + 1/2 cup applesauce) 1 tsp. baking soda big pinch sea salt 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1-1/2 cups flour (I used 3/4 cup white whole wheat, 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose) 1/2 cup toasted walnuts 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries 1-1/2 cups finely grated zucchini (grate on large holes of box grater, then chop) Heat oven to 400F.  Set out a 12-cup muffin tin.  Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray, or line with paper cups. In medium bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, vanilla and melted butter.  Sprinkle baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon over mixture and whisk in.  Using a spatula or spoon, gradually add flour, gently stirring only till barely combined.  Fold in walnuts, cranberries and zucchini, being careful not to overmix. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.  Place pan in oven, close door and immediately reduce heat to 325F.  Bake 17-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Yield:  12 muffins

WHITE LACE INN BONNIE'S CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS, ADAPTED

Recipes from B&B's are usually good, and this one from the White Lace Inn, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, makes the grade. These muffins are very moist with a tender crumb and rich flavor. There's just enough cinnamon to provide a backdrop to the main ingredients: zucchini and chocolate. As good as these are, though, they fall short of my favorite chocolate zucchini muffin recipe, from Penzey's Spices.

The original recipe called for a lot of oil, but I subbed low-fat buttermilk for most of it. The buttermilk added moistness, tenderness and flavor. I also used white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and stevia for the white sugar.

You can fix a chocolate craving with these delicious muffins without doing major damage to your diet, so long as you only eat one. And, remember, you'll be eating your veggies at the same time!

Bonnie's Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Adapted 1/3 Recipe

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

DRY INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar (I used 1-3/4 tsp. stevia)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 tsp. baking powder

1/3 tsp. sea salt

1/3 tsp. cinnamon

1 oz. grated Hershey Bar (I used Nestle's Chocolatier bittersweet chocolate bar, 60% cacao)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used Hershey milk chocolate chips)

3/4 cup finely grated zucchini, pressed dry between two paper towels

optional: 3 Tbsp. toasted broken walnuts

WET INGREDIENTS: 1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. low-fat buttermilk

TOPPING: 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cocoa, 1 tsp. sugar + 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in a small bowl, then add all at once to dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly among the 6 muffin cups. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and sprinkle over tops of muffins, pressing chips in slightly. Bake 14-17 minutes, or till muffins test done when a toothpick is inserted in centers. (Mine took 15 minutes.) Yield: 6 standard size muffins

FAT-FREE ZUCCHINI-CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

You can find the original version of this recipe on the
allrecipes.com website with all the stellar reviews. I halved it and used whole-wheat pastry flour and bread flour, instead of all-purpose. I doubled the chocolate, but used a chopped Hershey's bar with almonds instead of chocolate chips. And, lastly, I took out the oil and used my homemade applesauce instead. A little sprinkle of cocoa, cinnamon and sugar on the tops is a nice finish, not in the original version. The somewhat brownish color of the muffin is, I think, from the chopped Hershey's. (When you chop a Hershey's bar, you get some very small pieces which probably melt as the muffin bakes. Mixed with the cinnamon, it produces a brownish muffin.) Although there's fat in the Hershey's bar and, technically, some fat in the egg yolk and whole-wheat flour, the muffin is virtually fat-free with no oil or butter. And, amazingly, the muffin is still very moist. It's also tender and delicious with just a hint of cinnamon and a hint of chocolate, and it's not overly sweet -- just right, I think. This is a good recipe, one that I would make again.

Fat-Free Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Rating: 7 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:

1/2 tsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

big pinch ginger

1 tsp. sugar

In small cup or dish, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Set aside.

Muffins:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/4 cup bread flour + 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour)

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar (I used 3/4 tsp. Stevia for the 1/8 cup sugar)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/4 cup chopped Hershey's with almonds)

2 Tbsp. toasted chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded, then finely chopped, zucchini, packed

1/2 large egg (separate white and yolk and measure half of each)

1/4 cup applesauce

2 Tbsp. milk

1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. pure vanila extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk first 5 ingredients together (dry ingredients) till well combined. Add chocolate, pecans and zucchini and whisk till well distributed.

In small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients till well combined and smooth. Stir into dry ingredients with spatula or spoon, mixing only till barely combined. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin top with some of the topping. Bake 18-22 minutes, or till toothpick inserted near center returns clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn muffins out onto wire rack to finish cooling., or serve immediately. Yield: 6 muffins.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Wow, are these the best muffins! The original recipe is on the
Penzeys Spices website, but I halved it and made changes. These are moist, chocolatey, flavorful and even have fiber and some food value. You know I won't say they're healthful. No way. Not with sugar. But I will say that one muffin will definitely fix your chocolate craving, and you won't blow all your calories.

A word of caution: If you use large zucchini, cut out the seeds before grating. And after you grate the zucchini on your box grater, be sure to cut it up even smaller. You want the zucchini to be finely grated or chopped.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Adapted Half Versiion from Penzey's Spices

Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins: 1/2 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)

2 Tbsp. Canola or vegetable oil

3/4 cup brown sugar (You can use part or all sugar substitute, but not Splenda, please!)

1 large egg (or egg substitute, if desired)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. chocolate flavor (optional)

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farms)

1-1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur)

2 Tbsp. cocoa (I used Hershey's Natural)

1/2 tsp. instant coffee powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely grated zucchini, pressed between paper towels to remove excess water

Topping: 1/3 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Place water in center 2 muffin cups, as there will only be enough batter for 10 muffins. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first 7 ingredients till well combined. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, cocoa, coffee powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon, stirring well to distribute ingredients evenly. Stir in the chocolate chips and zucchini, mixing to coat well with dry ingredients. Add all at once to the wet ingredients with a spatula and just mix till barely combined. Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 cup batter each.

In a small dish or bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle each muffin top with topping. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 325F. Bake about 20 minutes, or till muffins test done, when a toothpick inserted near center returns almost clean. Do not overbake! (If inserted in chocolate chip, a retest will be necessary.) Yield: 10 muffins.