- Zucchini is plentiful all summer long and it never hurts to have a few new ways to put it to use. Culinary Concoctions by Peabody whipped up a batch of Zucchini Apple Maple Muffins that are the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall baking seasons – a gap that still has plenty of zucchini in it! The muffins are packed with both grated zucchini and grated apple, which gives them a lot of flavor and also makes the muffin exceptionally moist and tender. The muffin batter is sweetened with maple syrup, rather than sugar. It is important to use a high quality maple syrup – and darker syrups tend to have the most flavor – for the best results. Finish off the muffins with a spiced maple glaze before serving.
- As delicious as zucchini bread is, you don’t want to get bored by making the same recipe week in and week out! Barbara Bakes shared a recipe that makes zucchini seem a little more decadent: Crumb Topped Caramel Zucchini Muffins. The muffins have a hint of caramel in them and are swirled with dulce de leche. They’re also topped with a cinnamon-sugar crumb topping. These are jumbo-sized muffins, so you might have to scale down the recipe if you only have a standard sized pan, however they’re sure to be a showstopper at brunch.
- Brunch is a good excuse to indulge a little bit. It is a meal that often involves both sweet and savory foods, as well as a crowd of friends and family to share goodies with. The Nutella & Peach Braid from Cupcakes and Couscous is both decadent and easy to prepare, making it a perfect brunch dish. The pastry starts with puff pastry, which is rolled out and filled with a layer of Nutella, a layer of sliced peaches (canned peaches will work well here) and then topped with cinnamon. The pastry is folded around the filling and baked until golden, then it is topped with homemade candied walnuts and a rich Nutella sauce before serving.
- Lemon and blueberries are a classic combination and I frequently use them together in cakes and muffins. Gather & Dine‘s Blueberry Lemon Thyme Bread is a quick bread recipe that adds a savory herb to that combination, giving a traditional flavor combination an unexpected level of complexity. bread is made with fresh lemon juice and zest, tangy plain yogurt and plenty of fresh blueberries. Fresh thyme is a nice addition because, like the lemon zest, it is quite aromatic. You’ll be able to smell it while your bread is baking, as well as taste it in the finished product.