Recipe to share: Zucchini Basil Muffins

[aquinas_chris]

I'll begin by saying- these are not light- and would like recommendations for lightening them up if you know how (I'm not good at tweaking the recipes of baked goods).

Otherwise, these were flavorful and a nice savory muffin. Plus, if you're like me, you're looking for recipes (old and new) to use up the huge surplus of zucchini and basil that you've got around! Here's your answer!

Zucchini and Basil Muffins
Makes about 22 muffins

1 cup veg. oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. freshly gr. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans lightly.
Combine oil and sugar in a mixing bowl; beat well. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Add to the sugar mixture; stir just until moistened.
Fold in zucchini, basil and lemon rind.
Spoon into muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 min.; remove the muffins to wire racks to cool completely.

-Recipe from Art in the Kitchen;Westmoreland museum of Art
submitted by Carol Vallozzi

[gertdog]

Thanks, Chris, these sound lovely and summery. A great alternative to zucchini bread! Not that I'm complaining about zucchini bread, as I recently made KimKelly's delicious Chocolate Wave zucchini bread recipe... :D But the muffins sound like they'd be great with a chilled soup or salad for dinner. Yum!

[emily]

This recipe intrigued me as I love basil in all forms. Plus, I thought I'd give a go at lightening it :) To accomplish that, I cut the sugar, replaced the oil with non-fat plain yogurt and increased the zucchini. I've put my modified version below. Ha, in copying I noticed that this was supposed to make almost 2 dozen muffins. LOL, I got 12 :o Also mine deflated once out of the oven, perhaps because of the yogurt sub???

My final product is very, very moist, relatively dense, but not tough savory muffin that I'll be serving with shrimp and corn chowder (review to come after we've actually had dinner). It's not for the faint of taste buds as the basil is a rather dominant flavor - I loved them and my mom said "This tastes like something you would like" :rolleyes: But like it I did, thanks Chris!

Modified Zucchini and Basil Muffins
Makes about 12 large muffins

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. freshly gr. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 small grated unpeeled zucchini (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
grated rind of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans lightly.
Combine yogurt and sugar in a mixing bowl; beat well. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Sift flours, baking powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Add to the sugar mixture; stir just until moistened.
Fold in zucchini, basil and lemon rind.
Spoon into muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 min.; remove the muffins to wire racks to cool completely.

[Peggy]

This is just the recipe I need right now! I have zucchini and basil coming out of my ears!:eek: (Not literally!!) Thanks for the original and modified recipes.

Peggy

[Peggy C.]

This looks yummy...unfortunately I have a gourmet rabbit that has eaten every single (ok not 1) zucchini flower this year! So that's it. 1 zucchini and I stuffed it the other night!:D

Do you guys think the bunny was battering and deep frying my zucc flowers?;)

[aquinas_chris]

thanks for lightening those up. I gasped at the amt of oil but stayed true to my policy of trying a recipe as it is originally written. Will have to give the lightened version a try!

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