Zucchini, Spice, Muffins and Vice.

And everything vegan, delicious and nice. Vice absolutely applies though, because you can't eat just one of these muffins. Seriously, ask Jennifer. I baked an extra batch so she could take some home.

These zucchini and spice muffins are moist and springy with a slight crunch and pleasant crumb. They pack all the flavor of a traditional zucchini bread without being too heavy or oily, and make a perfect compact breakfast treat that won't sit like a brick in your belly. A heaping tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger adds a bit of zip to a familiar favorite, and ground flaxseed provides antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids.

ZUCCHINI AND SPICE MUFFINS
-          1 ½ cup unbleached white flour
-          1 ½ cup wheat flour
-          1 tsp salt
-          1 tsp baking powder
-          1 tsp baking soda
-          ½ tsp cinnamon
-          ¼ tsp nutmeg
-          ¼ tsp allspice
-          pinch ground cloves
-          1 cup turbinado sugar
-          1 heaping Tbs fresh grated ginger
-          ½ cup all natural applesauce
-          ½ cup oil
-          1 banana blended with 1/3 cup vanilla soy milk
-          2 Tbs ground flax in 4 Tbs water
-          2 cups zucchini, chopped
-       ½ cup dried cranberries, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Before you begin, blend the banana and soy milk together, then add water to the ground flaxseed and set aside until needed – this will become gelatinous and aid in binding the batter. Combine flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sugar in a bowl and incorporate gently. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add wet ingredients and zucchini. Mix the batter together gently with a large spoon, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you work. The batter should be thick, wet and slightly sticky. Using your spoon, dispense the batter evenly into a muffin pan – be sure to use liners, or your muffins may stick! Bake for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack. After thirty minutes, check the muffins for brownness; if they are too dark, cover with foil and rotate the pans. I do not recommend reducing the baking time because the muffins do not cook through evenly – if you take them out prematurely, they will be wet in the middle. I placed two pans to cook in the oven at the same time. This recipe yields approximately 20 muffins.

JENNIFER CAN’T STOP EATING THEM, and is totally responsible for the addition of cranberries to the recipe.

Enjoy!