We have lots of summer squash, 3 types of zucchinis and some light
green sunburst squash. I was really excited about this recipe (my own experimentation) because this turned out very good, and I like it that there is no oil added (instead I like using ground almond meal).
I have made is successfully, but the last time I made it the muffins did not rise at all. It was still tasty but heavy. I did use one more cup of grated zucchinis and one less banana.
Any ideas what might have happened?
In any case, I am sharing the recipe because even if it does not rise for you, it is very good.
Zucchini-banana-currant muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups finely grated zucchini (this is 2 humongous squash or 3
normal but large ones)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamon seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/2 cup currants
½ cups dried cranberries
2 tbsp chopped candied ginger
Method:
Squeeze liquid out of the finely shredded zucchini and add to the
flax seed meal on a bowl. Mix with wire whisk. Add remaining wet
ingredients, spices, and mix. Sift flour with baking soda and powder,
and add at the end. Depending on the zucchinis used there might be
too little or too much liquid. Adjust by adding a little more (or
less) flour. I used 2 small muffin tins (the ones that have room
for 12 muffins). This amount of batter makes 24 small muffins.
Bake in 350 oven for 40-45 minutes.
green sunburst squash. I was really excited about this recipe (my own experimentation) because this turned out very good, and I like it that there is no oil added (instead I like using ground almond meal).
I have made is successfully, but the last time I made it the muffins did not rise at all. It was still tasty but heavy. I did use one more cup of grated zucchinis and one less banana.
Any ideas what might have happened?
In any case, I am sharing the recipe because even if it does not rise for you, it is very good.
Zucchini-banana-currant muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups finely grated zucchini (this is 2 humongous squash or 3
normal but large ones)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamon seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/2 cup currants
½ cups dried cranberries
2 tbsp chopped candied ginger
Method:
Squeeze liquid out of the finely shredded zucchini and add to the
flax seed meal on a bowl. Mix with wire whisk. Add remaining wet
ingredients, spices, and mix. Sift flour with baking soda and powder,
and add at the end. Depending on the zucchinis used there might be
too little or too much liquid. Adjust by adding a little more (or
less) flour. I used 2 small muffin tins (the ones that have room
for 12 muffins). This amount of batter makes 24 small muffins.
Bake in 350 oven for 40-45 minutes.
posted by:
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Los Angeles
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 3:58 PMCabrita -
Your formula looks good. I believe your issue is with the Extra zucchini.
Zuchs have a LOT of liquid - even squeezing is not going to help with all of it. Once they start to get warm - more liquid comes out...
While bananas contain a certain amount of fiber - they too can be contributing to your liquid.
If you ''really want'' to use up the zuchs - you should consider adding - more flour, leavening AND possibly an extra egg (for lift)
Personally - I would just follow your formula and make MORE instead of trying to adjust the mix.
The liquid in zuchs varies from year to year and so - you may have to adjust your mix more as it is... try to reach the consistancy that has worked for you in the past.
You Can freeze grated Zuchs... it is not the best thing to do... but you can if you need more time to make things with them...
Back home - the ''thing to do'' was - sneak them onto your friends and neighbors doorsteps, late at night...
It seemed like almost every morning in the summer I would find new vegies that had ''migrated'' to my house in the middle of the night ! -
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 4:11 PMThank you Satiera. I think I will try again with less zuchs since they do taste wonderful (I love them for breakfast with coffee).
See, I made this up, and I never quite understood what exactly the baking powder and baking soda do. I added both just to cover my bases, but perhaps I should be using only one? or more of either?
I rather not use eggs, the flax seed and banana are sort of substituting for the eggs here. I did not think that had much to do with rising, but I don't know for sure. In any case, it did work once for me, I wish I understood the rising process better.
Someone gave me a recipe for a zucchini based relish (chow chow or millionaire's relish) that uses heaps of zuchs, so that is another option....and to think that the bulk of our squash is actually from a volunteer plant! -
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 4:57 PMYou actually only need baking soda and salt the two will not leaven each other. With 1.5 teaspoons of BS, use a half teaspoon of salt.
I am traditional and use butter/oil and eggs, so I can't speak to the almond/flax meal combo. I do know that many vegan bakers use applesauce in the place of the eggs.
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Tue, August 21, 2007 - 6:09 PMLeave us see - Both Baking Soda and Baking Powder are used to make the muffins rise up and give them a light airy texture...
Double acting baking soda is - just that - it starts to rise with liquid (so you don't want to let it sit around too long before baking) but ALSO kicks off Again with heat.
Baking Powder uses heat to rise (leaven.)
If you want an lighter textured item - the combination of both soda and baking powder Can be used to achieve this result.
I have a number of formulas that use both... it mostly depends on what you are doing and what the desired end result should be.
If you use too much baking soda - you can taste it even after the baking is done. Too much soda also produce a courser grainy texture.
As to eggs - sorry hadn't thought really about why they were not in your recipe...
Some of my formulas come from the war era when eggs were hard to come by... so I don't tend to think dietary reasons but I know how it is - I keep Kosher and spend a decent amount of my time converting formulas for My needs and others with specific diet requirements.
The enzyemes in eggs provide a ''structure'' for capturing air bubbles produced by the leavening process. They are not Needed to make the product rise (although they can be used as the only leavening ingrediant - if you choose.)
The purpose of using eggs is for additional stability and richness of texture... But Again - they are Not needed.
For ALL of these Leavening ingrediants - Care should be used Not to move the muffins around until they start to set... or the structure of air bubbles may collapse and you will end up with flat, dense zuch pucks... Tasty - but flattened !
Hope that this helps to clarify things a bit more... probably more than you really wanted... -
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Wed, August 22, 2007 - 12:36 PMNot more than I wanted, this is great! thank you so much for your explanations. Understanding what does what allows one to make up new recipes!
So what I hear, add a little salt, keep using both baking powder and soda and do not add too much baking soda because of the taste. Keep using 3 cups grated zuchs and hold yourself from adding more....
The ground flax seeds have the texture of eggs once you add liquid, and to bind things people use a variety of tricks. Bananas work, apple sauce, ground flax seeds, and blended tofu also works. It all depends on what we are trying to make, you would not want bananas in a savory recipe if you do not want the banana taste. That is where the ground flax seeds or tofu really help. -
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Re: need help with zucchinni muffins recipe
Wed, August 22, 2007 - 5:47 PMThank you for this info on the use of Flax seeds !!!
I am used to using them for their cleanizing ablilities... to help detox the system...
Am SO used to working with dietary requirements for folks with HIV, cancer, diabetes, Rabid vegetarians, etc... that I had forgotten my vegie roots and the OTHER uses for the food stuffs ! Oh - the shame.... (she hangs her head.)
Thank you for helping me get back into THAT mind set.
It has been so long - and it is Good to remember that Healthy food can be Just That - Healthy... ! Not just a way to get the needed nutrition into those on a restricted diet.
Thanks Cabrita ! Now I want to make zuke/lemon & poppyseed bread, maybe some baked zukes, or perhaps a zuke smoothie.... Yumm !
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