Zucchini Muffins

Or zucchini inspiration #2 and baking for beginners.  This past weekend a brunch and a BBQ and an urge to master some baking skills.  I have always loved cooking, but I have always stayed away from baking and its precision as I am more of use the recipe as a starting point kind of cook and like to tweak here and there, add a little bit more of this and a little less of that.  Plus my oven is old and I mean really old, with a somewhat damaged seal.  Familiar with it for cooking but not so familiar for the baking (hopefully 2011 brings me a new oven!).It doesn't really work so well with baking and ensuring things rise and what not, but I most definitely feel a baking phase coming on.

Back to the weekend and the brunch and the BBQ. Had been to cooking class over at Plum Kitchen a few weeks ago and Mrs PK showed us these little delights: zucchini muffins, check them out here and lost of other delicious recipes too.  Light and beautifully moist these muffins go down a treat. And having seen them made first hand thought what better way to begin the baking phase and to increase my chances of success. They are even full of vegetables too so they are even good for you, though maybe not quite so, if straight out the oven and slathered with butter, but who can resist doing that?

Zucchini: This member of the gourd family is cylindrical in shape and brilliant dark green in color, with a watery flesh and mild flavor. Though zucchini can grow to almost monstrous proportions, the smaller vegetables are the most flavorful. Zucchini contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Zucchini Muffins courtesy of Plum Kitchen, with no tweaking whatsoever!

This makes about 12 normal size muffins, or 24 mini muffins - I somehow ended up with 24 mini muffins and 12 normal - when I say normal I mean half the size of most of the muffins on display in cafes!  But that all worked out well, normal muffins for brunch and cute little nibbles for the afternoon BBQ.

Ingredients

Approx 500 grams grated zucchini, 4-5 normal zucchini

1 carrot grated

1 medium onion peeled and diced finely

About 2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 cup grated cheese, get a good strong cheddar

1 cup self-raising flour

¼ cup canola oil, I had Rice Bran Oil and that worked well

Salt and pepper

4-5 eggs (depending on size) 

Directions

Pre heat your oven to 180C

Drain your grated zucchini, by placing them in a clean tea towel, and squeezing out as much moisture as you can, you will be surprised how much comes out of even very firm vegetables.

Put into a large bowl, and add the grated carrot, onion, cheese, flour and canola oil. Stir together, and add plenty of salt and pepper.

Add 4 eggs, and stir the mixture thoroughly, it should be moist but not to runny. Unlike normal muffins, this batter can take plenty of stirring without producing a tough result. If the mixture looks to dry, add the remaining egg.

Bake in greased muffin trays for about 20-25 mins at 180C until golden brown. Mini muffins will only take 15-20 mins.

If you are feeding meat eaters, 3-4 rashers of chopped bacon can also be added to the mixture before baking

I also reckon these would work a treat with a little crumbled feta and a pinch or 2 of chilli...that could be an experiment for the coming weekend.

These turned out wonderfully well and I am quite proud of my first attempt at muffins, so thank you Plum Kitchen for the recipe.

They all went down a treat at brunch and at the BBQ, and even children like them, so it is a great way to hide some veggies.  And a pretty good start to my baking journey....next up getting in to the Christmas spirit with Christmas muffins.

Enjoy!