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As the summer starts to come to its end, I, like many, am suffering the consequences reaping the benefits of planting one too many summer squash plants. Now, unfortunately, I was never taught the art of canning… So, what to do with all this summer squash…? Well, lucky for my kitchen counter and you, I’ve come up with a delicious way for them to disappear quicker than you can say, “Summer Squash Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins”! Okay… that’s a bit of a mouthful, I’ll take suggestions in the comments for a better, less wordy, name. But, you’re going to crave these muffins like you wouldn’t believe.
A Summer Twist on a Classic
Yes, an overabundance of summer squash is the inspiration for these super moist, healthy muffins. The idea actually came to me in a dream. Okay, that’s not true. It came to me while I was making a batch of double chocolate zucchini muffins. (That recipe coming soon) It got me thinking about trying to use my summer squash in a similar fashion.
The bright yellow skin of the squash made me think of a yellow lemon peel annnnnd YAHTZEE! The love child of zucchini bread and lemon poppyseed muffins!
Sunshine Day!
These muffins are so bright in color and flavor which makes them the perfect way to start your day. I use the large shred side of a box grater to get as much of the yellow squash skin as possible. This makes the muffins appear to be loaded with lemon. And perfect for kids who refuse to eat their veggies! Sneaky, sneaky! I told the kids the yellow flecks were just lemon… (Note: this is not a complete and total lie… There’s lemon zest in these muffins but who knows if that one yellow fleck was lemon or squash?)
Variations and Recipe Notes
If poppy seeds don’t float your boat, try mixing in some lightly flour-dusted blueberries or even raspberries! Doing so will amp up the nutrition and add even more of a summery flavor to these delectable muffins.
You’ll see that this recipe calls for two different extracts: Vanilla and Almond. Almond extract is SUPER IMPORTANT in this recipe. It actually enhances the lemon flavor without making the muffins too tart. Who knew?!
For my final trick… Get yourself some saltine crackers! After completely cooling your muffins, place them in your storage container of choice. Add a few crackers throughout the container. (If stacking the muffins, put some crackers in the bottom layer, top with a layer of paper towel, then continue stacking with more crackers throughout the top layer.) This might seem crazy but if you replace the crackers every other day or so, your muffins will stay fresher longer! The crackers soak up the moisture in the container, warding off mold and leaving you with perfect muffins for days!
So that’s it for today’s blog post. Whip up a batch of these healthy, lemon muffins for the perfect grab-and-go breakfast during the week. Even better take a moment this weekend to save a muffin with a hot cup of coffee to celebrate International Coffee Day. Yeah, that’s a real “holiday”… It happens this year on Saturday, September 29. In my house, however, it happens on any day that ends in “y”. I’m imagining these muffins pairing well with a Lavender Latte… Anyone know of a great recipe for that?
Ingredients
- 1 cup Earth Balance Margarine, melted.
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 Lemons, zested and juiced
- 4.5 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer mixed with 6 TBSP warm water (or other egg replacer equiv. 3 eggs)
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 cups AP Flour
- 2 cups Summer Squash, grated
- 1 1/2 TBSP Poppy Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Combine melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest, almond and vanilla extracts in a large bowl or stand mixer.
- Slowly add in egg replacer about 1/3 at a time.
- Sprinkle the mixture with salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine.
- Add AP flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Combining thoroughly before adding more.
- Fold in grated squash and poppy seeds.
- Divide into prepared muffin tins, lined with paper cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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