A Week of Zucchini ~ Nut Muffins

Zucchini season has arrived.  Neighbors are giving them away.  Co-workers are dragging large bags to work, setting them in the office kitchen with a note that reads please help yourself.  I'm going to share a recipe for zucchini every day this week, and not one of them will be for bread...because everyone has at least one recipe for that.

I clipped this first recipe from the Miami Herald Newspaper thirty years ago and it has been a favorite ever since.  Slightly different than bread, this recipe is for zucchini muffins. Unlike bread, when making muffins, I don't squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini, otherwise they'd be too dry.

Raffle's Zucchini Nut Muffins
makes 3 dozen
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 C all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
8 eggs
3 1/2 C sugar
1 Tb vanilla
2 C vegetable oil
4 C raw zucchini, washed and grated
2 C walnuts, chopped
1 C golden raisins

Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.  In large bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until creamed.  Slowly add oil.  This should thicken the mixture slightly.  Add vanilla and zucchini, incorporate well.  Add walnuts and raisins and mix well.  Fold in the dry ingredients.  Once the flour goes into the bowl, rotate a few turns only; you don't want to over mix.

Grease muffin tins well with solid shortening or butter.  Fill each cup 2/3 full.  Bake in preheated, 350 oven for 15-20 minutes.  Do not open oven door while muffins are baking.  Remove from oven, cool on racks for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from the tin.

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Even though these freeze well, I made half the recipe.  I know there will be more zucchini in my future.