Vegetables or Fruit - You Decide! Zucchini Muffins

I don't usually toot my own horn, but sometimes it really is the right thing to do. This week Breadmantalking has been chosen by Become.com as one of the Best on The Web and is featured on their website. You can visit their website here.

This is a very serious question. Is zucchini a fruit or a vegetable? Or something in between (is there such a thing?). It's true we eat it (usually) like a vegetable. In stir-fry for instance. Or stuffed with luscious risotto style rice and other veggies. Some people eat it raw in a salad like a cucumber, which is, after all, a first cousin. So which is it? In truth it is confusing, because we actually eat it as a vegetable, usually, but it is a fruit. BTW, so are tomatoes, peppers and even eggplants! So this recipe, rather than confusing, should actually straighten you out a bit. But I suspect you will end up even more confused!

Here's What You'll Need:

1 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cups grated or finely chopped zucchini
1/1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins or currants

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line muffin tin(s) with papers, or grease each cup.


2) Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla till smooth and somewhat lightened in color, about 1 minute at high speed.

3) Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, beating to combine.
4) Add the flour, beating just till smooth.
5) Add the zucchini, nuts, and raisins or currants.

6) Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

7) Bake the muffins for 18 to 20  minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!!