Peach Zucchini Muffins #MuffinMonday

Chunks of peaches combined with shredded zucchini in this peach jam-sweetened whole grain muffin.

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Necessity is the mother of inventive recipes I am sure. Why else would anyone combine zucchini and peaches? Sure, food that is ripe at the same time generally pairs well together (tomatoes + basil, cucumbers + dill are two good examples) but it seems a little crazy to combine peaches and zucchini in a muffin.



Call me crazy. I've been a canning fool (you can see on my FB page) and when I realized I had a jar of peach jam left in the pantry from a previous . . . ahem . . . home . . . I decided to use it in a muffin.  [What happens to jam after a 23 months in a cool dark place? Well, not much. The top of the jam was a bit darker than the rest, but the jar remained sealed and it tasted delicious. I just wanted room for all the peach raspberry jam I canned this year. Out with the old. Into a muffin.]

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This muffin uses whole grains--whole wheat flour and cornmeal. The first and third batches were made using white whole wheat flour and are a bit lighter in texture than the second batch, but using your standard whole wheat flour works fine as well.




I didn't put chunks of peaches in the first batch, which is why there was a second batch, and I wanted to show the muffin method in a video which is why there's a third batch. I recommend chunks--they are fun. My jam was not chunky at all, so if you are using a chunky peach jam you make the call.

Sometimes I use some homegrown volunteer zucchini from the garden yard. Because the larger squash had a tough rind by the time I tripped over them, I chose to peel the squash before shredding it. If you're using younger, tender zucchini like I get in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, please feel free to skip the peeling step.


However, if you're trying to feed people who don't like green things you may wish to peel off the skin. Not that I'm an advocate of sneaking vegetables--my kids will ask if there are beets in a purple smoothie and I won't lie [there usually are, what else am I going to do with beets?]. I like the little stripes of green in these muffins.

Robert Barker is so bored in this photo. Like a teen or something.

Note: there's a variable in this recipe--how much water content your shredded zucchini has in it. Since I usually freeze, thaw, drain, squeeze and wring my shredded zucchini mine is pretty darn dry. The process of freezing breaks down the plant cell walls and releases fluid so you get a whole lot out. If you have very dry zucchini you may need to add milk to the batter. If you've got fresh zucchini you may not need to add any milk at all.

For other recipes using peaches, please see my Peach Recipes Collection. For other recipes using Zucchini, please see my Zucchini Recipes Collection. These pages are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating from the farm share, the garden [or yard] abundance, or the farmer's market. For other muffin recipes, please check out the drop down recipe index on the right sidebar. I don't post these things to bury them, you know.

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This is after adding an additional 2 Tablespoons milk.

Peach Zucchini Whole Grain Muffins
By Kirsten Madaus

Chunks of peaches combined with shredded zucchini in this peach jam-sweetened whole grain muffin recipe.

Prep time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:15
Total time: 00:30

Yield: 3 dozen mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients:
⅔ cup peach jam
1 large egg
¼ cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini (see Note above)
⅓ cup cornmeal
1½ cups whole wheat flour (it's better with white whole wheat)
½ teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 peach, pitted and chopped into the size you want in your muffin
0 to 2 Tablespoons milk (see Note above)


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray muffin pan with oil spray or line with paper liners.

This recipe will make a dozen regular sized muffins or 3 dozen mini muffins.

In a large bowl combine jam, oil, egg and vanilla with a fork until well blended.

Stir in the zucchini.

Dump the dry ingredients on top, and stir briefly.

Add the chopped peaches and fold in gently. If the batter is dry, add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk.

Continue gently folding until mixture is just combined.

Scoop into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to completely cool.

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

• Blueberry Corn Muffins from Simply Inspired Meals
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• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Peach Zucchini Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
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• Zucchini Morning Glory Muffins from Passion Kneaded