Apple Zucchini Muffins

What to do when you’ve got a giant zucchini in the fridge?  Well, two of my favorite things to make with zucchini are quick bread and quiche.  Both require the zucchini to be shredded, which is a great workout for the arms–but it goes surprisingly quickly.  In fact, I still have some shredded zucchini leftover from the recipe below, which may indeed be added to a quiche tomorrow. 

This recipe combines both zucchini and apples, since they are in season, with gluten-free flours.  I like to play around with different combinations of gluten-free flours to taste the differences.  I’ve also added lemon rind and plain yogurt, but you could probably substitute apple sauce for the dairy.   In addition, I left these on the less-than-sweet side.  I would rather have the option of spreading on some pumpkin butter, or preserves, or eat them plain with the slight sweetness of the apples. 

Apple Zucchini Muffins

1 c buckwheat flour

1 c gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill)

1.5 t baking soda

¼ t xanthan gum

½ t salt

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

1/3 c sugar (I used organic, raw sugar)

¼ c grapeseed oil

1 egg and one egg white

1 t vanilla

¼ cup plain yogurt

1 T grated lemon rind

2 c grated, drained zucchini

1 apple, peeled and chopped

½ c chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

In a medium bowl, combine the first six dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. 

In a second large bowl, combine the sugar and oil and mix well.  Add in the egg and egg white and whisk until the eggs are well beaten and combined. 

Mix in the vanilla, yogurt, and lemon rind, then the zucchini and apples. 

Fold in the dry ingredients until just mixed in, then gently fold in the nuts.

Spoon the mixture by ¼-cup fulls into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the muffins spring back to the touch. 

Let cool for a few minutes, then use a knife to loosen around the edges of each muffin and remove it from the pan.  Place on a wire rack and let cool completely (or dig in while they’re warm!).  Store in an airtight container.