sweet miscellany

As I sit here writing this at about 9:30 pm, it is still 93 degrees out. Wow. I have been craving raw foods and ice cream like crazy and trying to use my oven and stove as little as possible since it tends to heat up my apartment even more.

You are probably wondering why I am posting these muffins, considering that:
(a) it’s damn hot out and the thought of turning on your oven makes you want to scream
(b) it’s swimsuit season and you can’t bear the thought of having to eat sweets if you want to buy that bikini (or speedo) you’ve been eyeing
(c) you have better things to do like swim, barbeque, and work on your healthy tan

…but I baked them last week right before the temperatures climbed up and the days were still relatively pleasant. I think it’s safe to say that these muffins will be the last recipe for a while that involves an oven if only for my own sanity and unwillingness to sweat more than is absolutely necessary.

If you get a chance (i.e. a cool enough moment in your day), you should definitely consider making these muffins. They were born out of an excess of zucchini from the farmer’s market and the desire to want to improve upon the typical zucchini bread. I added a good bit of lemon zest to brighten things up and some crystalized ginger to give it zing and a bit of spice. If you think you don’t like zucchini, not to fear. It only lends a hint of earthy vegetal flavor that is more than balanced out by the lemon zest and ginger. I promise you won’t be disappointed if you make these.

Lemon Ginger Zucchini Muffins
makes 12; adapted from here

3 cups almond flour (or hazelnut flour if you would prefer)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp pure almond extract (opt.)
3 eggs
zest of 2 lemons
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced crystalized ginger (depending on how ginger-y you want it)
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 12 muffin/cupcake cups with liners or parchment paper. Whisk together the dry ingredients and lemon zest in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the zucchini and ginger to the batter and fold it in until evenly distributed. Fill your cups 2/3 full and bake 30 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden and a tester comes out clean. Enjoy!

It’s officially summer. The solstice came and went and now it’s 100 degrees all of the sudden. It’s as if mother nature was waiting for that precise moment to turn the heat up to unbearable. I’ve been dreading it for several weeks, but I’m a Texan born and raised so dealing with the heat is in my blood. Time to quit whining about it and just take it as it comes.

After I get past the initial shock and drenching sweat it brings, I remember all the things I love about summer. Summer produce (arguably the best all year round) explodes at the farmer’s markets. I buy way too many blueberries and peaches, but I always seem to end up eating them all or making them into jam before they go bad. Ominous storms roll through in the summer, bringing beautiful grey clouds and a welcome temporary drop in temperatures. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good summer storm to drench the earth and cool it off for a bit. Life seems to become less complicated and focused on simpler things like good ice cream and lounging in the shade.

Although I tend to rely less on my oven and more on raw foods and un-fussy preparations during the summer, I couldn’t resist making up a quick crumble with the trio of berries resting in my fridge last weekend. I had a lime lying around, so I combined the zest with the berries to give it an extra punch of flavor. And, to cool things off a bit, I served it with a spiced coconut yogurt. I baked up the crumble just in time to enjoy a fleeting summer storm, rolling through and offering a bit of relief from the sun.

Mixed Berry Crumble with Spiced Coconut Yogurt
notes: I made my crumble in my cast iron pan, but feel free to use any baking dish of a similar size. Just make sure to lightly grease it with oil. You may have some crumble topping left over, but don’t throw it out! You can freeze it and save it for the next crumble or for adding to the top of muffins, pancakes, etc. The crumble should serve 6 people.

crumble
3 1/2 to 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and cherries)
6 tbsp coconut sugar, divided
zest of 1 organic un-waxed lime
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup of oat flour (or any flour of your choice)
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
heaping 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature (solid)

spiced coconut yogurt
1 6 to 8 oz container plain coconut milk yogurt
1/2 to 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey if not making it vegan)
1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and ground cardamom

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the berries, 2 tbsp of the coconut sugar, and lime zest together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar, ground cloves, and pecans until combined. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the dry mixture with a fork or your fingers until the crumble topping forms. Pour the berries and their accumulated juices into a seasoned cast iron pan (or a lightly greased baking dish) and spread them out into an even layer. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the berries in an even layer (you may have some left over). Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.

While the crumble is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced coconut yogurt. Taste and adjust for sweetness or spices. Serve along side or on top of the crumble. Enjoy!