Yum & Yummer is here! Greta Podleski‘s new cookbook is here and I could not be more excited to get cookbook reviewing. I started off with a classic! I used to make the Looneyspoon Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf all the time and think it is genius she renovated it from a 2-loaf recipe to a 12-muffin recipe. Much easier for portioning and this time she uses Greek yogurt along with apple sauce to make them super moist.
The Ingredients
I only made half the recipe but will write it out in full
You will need 3/4 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini (patted dry with paper towels), 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Making The Muffins
Greta has made videos for all her recipes! You can find the video for this one here.
In a medium bowl whisk together yogurt, sugar, apple sauce, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended. Stir in zucchini.
In a large bowl whisk together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. You are supposed to add chocolate chips at this point but I forgot!
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until everything is just moistened.
Batter will be thick.
Baking The Muffins
Spray 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray or oil (I used paper liners but they really stuck to them). Evenly spoon batter into prepared cups.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-22 minutes.
Until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
Foodie Results
These really are super chocolatey and delicious.
They are not your typical dense muffin at all—look at all the air inside!
As a result they are not very filling so have these as a light snack or you will end up eating two. Like I did!
Cookbook reviewing Yum & Yummer is off to a great start! The photos are fantastic, the instructions are easy to read and I like this new take on her classic healthy treat recipe. I give it four and a half out of five wooden spoons.
Because these are low in fat they do not last long. Mine went bad quite quickly so either serve them to a crowd right away or freeze for another foodie day.
Now if only I can figure out what to do with all that leftover apple sauce. That is my only complaint about low fat baking tricks. It sits in my fridge forever!
I had a copy of her original cookbook with her sister and liked the recipes. Glad she’s back on the scene now with her new solo cookbook! I think I’ll pick up a copy too.
And eating TWO muffins at a sitting? You amateur. Hold my beer.
Yes, me too!!! Love the Looneyspoon cookbooks, they were essential to me learning about food from the very beginning. Her sister is back in school (I think getting her PhD) so she has taken on her own cookbook and it’s pretty gorgeous and well done.
I love the Podleski sisters previous books, Looney Spoons and Crazy Plates. Absolutely adore Yum and Yummer.
re: Zucchini Choc Muffins
Love these moist choclatey gems. I automatically freeze my baking for two reasons: keeps it fresher and I don’t eat as many.
As for the extra apple sauce:
I make apple sauce and then freeze it in 1/4 portions placed on sarah once frozen I put them in a freezer zip loc and are ready for my next recipe. Any tried a true recipes I have that are not low fat I at least switch up 1/4 c of sugar for a 1/4 c of apple sauce.
Happy cooking!
Hi Anna! Yes, that’s a great cookbook too! Smart to automatically freeze them. Thank you so much for sharing your apple sauce recipe with me, I really appreciate it. So smart to do a 1:1 ratio. I will remember that! It’s like a simple syrup.
Just wondering about the gluten free flour substitution…I assume we put in 1 1/4cup of the gluten free blend (pg 244) to directly substitute for the omitted all-purpose and whole wheat flour amounts?
Hey Meghan! Unfortunately I am not a gluten-free expert but it sounds like you know your stuff!