A couple days ago one of my sweet gardening neighbors rang to ask if I would loan a couple muffin pans so she could make — for the first time! — a batch of gluten-free and dairy-free zucchini muffins for her friend’s birthday. She brought me one of the finished muffins, which had a lovely, slightly spicy fragrance, hinting of ginger as well as cinnamon. I broke off a bite early, while they were still warm, and found myself in agreement with the baker that they were a bit dry while not being overdone.*
I didn’t let that get in the way of my enjoyment, slicing and macerating a couple nectarines for 1/2 hour in the fridge, then crumbling 1/2 of the muffin atop. Upside-down shortcake! Yummy. Ditto for breakfast the next day.
Then, as things sometimes happen, Sylvia asked me if I could use a chunk of (big) garden zucchini to make a loaf of zucchini bread. No, but I’d just seen a recipe for zucchini muffins which attracted my attention, so I asked if she’d accept the replacement. The answer is easily surmised. I changed the recipe slightly, adding a little bit of ginger.
To my surprise, my daughter, who does not prefer muffins or biscuits in general, asked if I’d save her one. Yes. However, she likes her banana bread with chocolate chips and I had enough grated zucchini (minus all the bitter seeds and pithy middle) to make a double batch of batter and pop in some Trader Joe’s semisweet chocolate chips.
If I ever make them again, I will double the cinnamon and the ginger, personal preference, maybe add some slivers of candied ginger as my neighbor added some almond slivers. They’re perfecly light and fluffy muffins.
*Perhaps gluten-free flour mixes require a bit of something extra? I don’t know since I don’t bake gluten-free desserts, yet. She said the mix included almond and garbanzo flours.
And Sylvia’s beautiful pink lilies, the last of them:
Ms Chef in Seattle 