Pure Hunger

There is pride in this recipe. Personal pride. The wizardry that must occur to create a vegan recipe astounds me. I called upon some trusted advisors, consulted my favorite vegan blog and even emailed both of them in order to attempt the most courageous act in the kitchen to date. Tweaking a recipe for a baked good. Cooking allows for constant revision in the moment. Adding dashes here, additional vegetables, spices or broth without batting an eye at the outcome. It’s a process that is familiar, comfortable and natural for me. Altering recipes for baked goods, however, is always such a daunting task. In this instance, I was determined to find a recipe for zucchini bread that was vegan, did not include gobs of sugar or fat, included chia seeds and did not taste of cardboard. A difficult task for sure but I’m confident I succeeded.

Ingredients

Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

Dry ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Wet ingredients:
1 Tbsp chia seeds
3 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cup shredded zucchini, packed
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/4 cups rice milk

There was a lot of nail biting and wine drinking as the muffins baked in the oven. Constant checking to make sure they were rising and fluffy as muffins should. When I was assured they looked appropriate, I eagerly sliced one open to make sure they didn’t taste like cardboard. The exact opposite my friends. Warm, soft, sweet and ever faintly tasting of zucchini and cranberry. These muffins were and are a requirement in my morning routine. Adding a slice of butter just polishes off an already ideal experience.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a muffin pan with oil or place paper or silicone liners in tins. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined. Do not over-stir. Spoon into muffin cups, dividing batter equally among the cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.