Zucchini bread holds a surprisingly large place in my memories of childhood. It was a staple around my house. I’m not really sure how that evolved, but my mom kept the freezer stocked with individually wrapped slices of homemade zucchini bread all the time. And she doesn’t even like it. These slices showed up in my lunchbox a lot, and even at classroom events and field trips. It was always called “spice bread” when other kids (and sometimes adults) were around, because if vegetables are mentioned it tends to make second graders wary. I could handle the vegetable part, but I didn’t find out there were raisins in it until I had been eating it for years. My mom ground them up pretty well in the food processor. I must say I felt a little deceived when I found out that she had been sneaking fruit AND veggies into me at once.
There are a few things I remember most about the zucchini bread I grew up with…
It was always baked in a bundt pan, so three sides had a smooth crust, but the top, which became the bottom when flipped out, was all nubbly. I hated that nubbly side and usually picked it off.
It was spiced with cloves and cinnamon. No ginger, no nutmeg. And there were never any nuts either, even though the recipe calls for walnuts.
It was blended so thoroughly that there were no little green flecks to be seen. But I like the little flecks, so I left these muffins with a few shining through.
So here’s a throwback to my childhood with a few alterations…okay maybe a lot of alterations.
Raw Zucchini Muffins
Makes 15 mini muffins
1 cup raw buckwheat groats
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP flax meal
3 TBSP agave
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp salt
- Grind the buckwheat groats in a dry blender until they form a flour. Dump the flour into a mixing bowl.
- Add the flax, salt, spices, and vanilla powder to the bowl, and stir so all the dry ingredients are well combined.
- Squeeze the shredded zucchini in a nut milk bag or towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside
- Add the raisins and agave to a food processor. Process until it forms a thick gooey paste without any large chunks of raisins left.
- Add the dry mixture and zucchini to the food processor. Process until everything is well mixed. It should form a slightly sticky ball.
- Roll the dough into balls, and press into a lined mini muffin pan.
- Place a raisin on top for garnish if you want, then place in the fridge so they become firm.
Leave a Reply