Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These are the absolute best zucchini muffins I have ever made because they don’t taste anything like zucchini muffins. They are  gluten free, low carb, nut-free (coconut flour)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup coconut flour (I get mine from Bulk Barn)
  • 1/2 cup Monk Fruit/Erythritol  blend (Bulk Barn)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened, not hot chocolate mix)
  • 1 Tbsp  baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/4 tsp cornstarch

Melt Together Ingredients (melt in microwave or stove)

  • 1/2 cup butter (one stick)  (or coconut oil or olive oil)
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened baking chocolate or dark chocolate chips (30g)

Zucchini/Berry Processing Ingredients

  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup zucchini (142 g, loosely packed).  Can also use 142 g any smashed fruit – strawberries, blueberries, etc.  Don’t use salt with the fruit.

Wet Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with parchment liners.
  • Grate zucchini. To dewater zucchini, place into a colander, and sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix thoroughly and let sit (the salt draws the water out of the zucchini). 
  • Measure the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together, breaking up any lumps.
  • Melt the butter and unsweetened baking chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals.  Mix well.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl starting with the eggs. Add the eggs and mix until incorporated. Add the chocolate and butter and mix until incorporated. With clean hands, squeeze the water out of the zucchini and add it to the bowl (no need to squeeze any other fruit). Mix thoroughly with a hand mixer scraping down the bowl once.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups, mounding slightly in the middle. The batter will be thick.
  • Bake for 21-25 minutes depending on your oven. Don’t over bake. Let cool in the pan 3 minutes before removing

    Tomato Jam

    I recently got a surprise when a returning guest said that she loved the tomato jam that I served (a dollop on a piece of cheese). She really appreciated that my recipes were on my website and she makes it weekly now and has told all of her friends about it. I recently changed my website template and lost all of the recipes, so here it is again. Glad you like it Jennifer!

    My original source for this was a blog called simplygluten-free.com but a quick google search show that the same recipe shows up on various sites. It lists Carol Kicinski as the creator of the recipe. It’s simple but yummy!

    Ingredients

    2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
    1⁄2 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
    Juice of 1 lemon
    2 cloves garlic, mined
    1⁄2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
    1 teaspoon salt
    1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper (I use double that, I like black pepper)

    Directions

    Combine all ingredients in a large skillet and cook over medium­-high heat. As the tomatoes start to soften, about 2 minutes, mash them with a potato masher. Continue to boil the mixture until it is thick and the liquid has been reduced (when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, it should leave a path), about 10 minutes. Let jam cool then store in a clean jar, covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    Amazing fruit salsa

    We had an abundant crop of jalapeno peppers in the garden, and some nectarines that needed to be used, and I had friends coming over for lunch. I popped up the Jamie Oliver website and searched for “easy lunch” (or something like that), and found something that looked yummy. It involved making a number of dishes, one of which was a traditional fresh salsa. A little creative thinking and this has become a summer favourite. I actually don’t eat it with chips like you would a traditional salsa (although you can), more as a refreshing summer salad with a bit of a twang:

    Amazing Fruit Salsa (Mango or Nectarine

    TOTAL TIME: however long it takes you to cut stuff up!

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 bunch  spring onions
    • 1/2 -1 jalapeno pepper 
    • 4 cm piece fresh ginger
    • 2 nectarines or 1 mango, or one of each
    • 1 lime
    • 2 Tbsp coconut flakes
    • bunch cilantro (optional)

    Directions

    1. Trim and finely slice the green onions and put in a bowl.
    2. Cut open the jalapeno pepper, remove the seeds and chop quite small, add to the bowl
    3. Cut the fruit into quite small pieces, about the size of the tip of your finger, add to the bowl
    4. Zest and then juice the lemon, and both the zest and juice to the bowl
    5. Add the coconut flakes
    6. Mix it all together, top with chopped cilantro, and serve. I usually put the cilantro on the side as not everyone likes it. I find this keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, no problem

    Here is a link to the original recipe that inspired the above: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pancake-recipes/crispy-rice-pancakes/

    Gluten Free Fruit Muffins

    I was thrilled to be interviewed on CBC NB Shift’s What’s Cooking about how I use almond flour. This is one of my favourite recipes:

    Blueberry Muffins Recipe – gluten-free, low carb, keto, with almond flour

    TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 20-25 min. @ 350  YIELD: 12 muffins.

    Ingredients

    • 2-1/2 cup   Blanched almond flour (Bulk Barn)
    • 1/2 cup      Monk Fruit/Erythritol blend (Bulk Barn)
    • 1-1/2 tsp    Baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp       Salt
    • 3 large       Eggs
    • 1/3 cup      Butter or coconut oil (measured solid then melted)
    • 1/3 cup      Unsweetened almond milk (or any milk)
    • 1/2 tsp       Vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup      Blueberries (or other fruit – nutritional info for blueberries)

    Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with parchment liners.
    2. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, Monk fruit/erythritol, baking powder, and salt.
    3. Mix in the melted butter, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Fold in the blueberries
    4. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups
    5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are very slightly golden around the edges.

    Calories  217kcal                                  Fat                   19g

    Prep Time 10 minutes                           Protein             7g

    Cook Time 20 minutes                          Total Carbs      6g        Net Carbs        3g

    Total Time 30 minutes                          Fiber                3g

    Servings  10-12 muffins                        Sugar               2g

    French Toast

    This recipe came from kind of a dare. One of my Facebook groups posted a recipe for a cinnamon quickbread, and noted that it is too bad you can’t make French toast from quickbread because this would be yummy. Challenge accepted! A quick search found some people who had tried this, and the trick is to let the bread sit for a day or two before cutting into slices. The other important procedure is to just dip the bread into the egg mixture, don’t let it soak. Enjoy!

    TOTAL TIME: To make the bread:Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min. @ 350. To make the French Toast, next day or later, Prep 5 min., cook 5 min.  YIELD: 16 servings.

    Ingredients (per serving of 4 slices of French toast)

    • 4 slices of Cinnamon Loaf (recipe below)
    • 1 egg
    • 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy works just fine too)

    Directions for French toast

    1. Pre-heat griddle on medium-low (I use 300 deg F on an electric griddle).
    2. Beat egg, add milk and beat together
    3. Pour egg/milk mixture onto a flat plate or bowl for easy dipping. You are going to want to be able to lay the bread flat.
    4. Butter the surface of the griddle/pan so the bread doesn’t stick.
    5. Dip bread into the mixture – one side, quickly turn over, other side, then lay on the pan. Do this for each slice.
    6. Cook for 2.5 minutes on one side (until it is smoking), 2 minutes on the other side. Serve with maple syrup

    Directions for Cinnamon Loaf

    TOTAL TIME: To make the bread:Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min. @ 350. YIELD: 16 servings.

    Ingredients

    Large bowl

    • 1/4 cup butter, softened
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Smaller bowl

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    Measuring cup

    • 1 cup buttermilk

     Prep bowl

    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoons sugar

    Directions

    1. In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
    2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk just until mixed.
    3. Transfer half of the mixture to a 9×5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle three-fourths of mixture over batter. Top with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
    4. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
    5. Wait until the next day and slice into 16 slices. Can be frozen up to 3 months.

    Nutrition Facts 1 slice: 173 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g ber), 3g protein.