I am an avid vegetable gardener. Few things make me feel as productive as tending my garden; and nothing makes me feel as proud as harvesting the fruits of my labor! However, some vegetables like zucchini can hijack your garden. Before you know what happened, you can have more zucchini than you can eat or give away to your friends and neighbors. And if your neighbors are like mine, after a few weeks of having zucchini left on their doorsteps daily, every time you approach their houses the sprinklers come on. Funny how that happens!Here is a recipe that will help you “manage" your zucchini production and at the same time put smiles on some of your favorite faces. I tested this theory today on some of my neighbors and not one sprinkler system malfunctioned. I think I am on to something.
Zucchini Nut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.
In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract and mix. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and baking soda. Add to sugar/ butter/egg mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 – 30 minutes. Makes 17, 2-inch cupcakes.
Icing
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rum (optional),
Preparation:
In a mixer or food processor mix the cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla and mix. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until the desired sweetness. Fold in the rum, if used. Makes 2 cups.
Decorate cupcakes using a spatula or piping bag.
Note: This same batter can be used to make zucchini bread. Pour into two 9X5 inch loaf pans and bake for 60 minutes.
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.
In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract and mix. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and baking soda. Add to sugar/ butter/egg mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 – 30 minutes. Makes 17, 2-inch cupcakes.
Icing
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rum (optional),
Preparation:
In a mixer or food processor mix the cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla and mix. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until the desired sweetness. Fold in the rum, if used. Makes 2 cups.
Decorate cupcakes using a spatula or piping bag.
Note: This same batter can be used to make zucchini bread. Pour into two 9X5 inch loaf pans and bake for 60 minutes.
