FAT-FREE ZUCCHINI-CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

You can find the original version of this recipe on the
allrecipes.com website with all the stellar reviews. I halved it and used whole-wheat pastry flour and bread flour, instead of all-purpose. I doubled the chocolate, but used a chopped Hershey's bar with almonds instead of chocolate chips. And, lastly, I took out the oil and used my homemade applesauce instead. A little sprinkle of cocoa, cinnamon and sugar on the tops is a nice finish, not in the original version. The somewhat brownish color of the muffin is, I think, from the chopped Hershey's. (When you chop a Hershey's bar, you get some very small pieces which probably melt as the muffin bakes. Mixed with the cinnamon, it produces a brownish muffin.) Although there's fat in the Hershey's bar and, technically, some fat in the egg yolk and whole-wheat flour, the muffin is virtually fat-free with no oil or butter. And, amazingly, the muffin is still very moist. It's also tender and delicious with just a hint of cinnamon and a hint of chocolate, and it's not overly sweet -- just right, I think. This is a good recipe, one that I would make again.

Fat-Free Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Rating: 7 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:

1/2 tsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

big pinch ginger

1 tsp. sugar

In small cup or dish, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Set aside.

Muffins:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/4 cup bread flour + 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour)

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar (I used 3/4 tsp. Stevia for the 1/8 cup sugar)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/4 cup chopped Hershey's with almonds)

2 Tbsp. toasted chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded, then finely chopped, zucchini, packed

1/2 large egg (separate white and yolk and measure half of each)

1/4 cup applesauce

2 Tbsp. milk

1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. pure vanila extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk first 5 ingredients together (dry ingredients) till well combined. Add chocolate, pecans and zucchini and whisk till well distributed.

In small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients till well combined and smooth. Stir into dry ingredients with spatula or spoon, mixing only till barely combined. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin top with some of the topping. Bake 18-22 minutes, or till toothpick inserted near center returns clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn muffins out onto wire rack to finish cooling., or serve immediately. Yield: 6 muffins.