Gluten free zucchini, herb & pepita smokey herb muffins with cream cheese frosting & Nutworks smokey sprinkles

It has been a long running inside joke in my family that I should open a muffin shop. I seem to be always making muffins and crafting new ones. There is something so wonderfully comforting and exciting about a muffin all at the same time, and the flavour possibilities are pretty much only as endless as your imagination!

What is not to love??

When Nutworks told me about their exciting new Gourmet Sprinkles range I was excited to try it, even more so when I started tasting the flavour combinations they had come up with. I have long been a fan of their products and natural ingredients.
In fact when you read the back of these sprinkles, their is not an additive or preservative in sight.

Nothing quite dresses a muffin up more than a whipped topping and a pop of crunch and flavour on top. Well these handy packets take all the guess work and prep work out as they are ready to snip and go.

As a busy mum, I really like that!!

When I tasted their Texas smoked my mind flew to paprika and smokey flavours and cream cheese so I crafted these muffins around my daydreaming taste buds. I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Bek xoxo

Zucchin, herb and pepita muffins with whipped lemon cream cheese frosting and Nutworks Smokey Sprinkles

Ingredients

2 free range eggs
1 large or 2 small zucchini
1 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup baby spinach leaves
2 cups self raising gluten free flour (could also use buckwheat with baking powder added)
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes slivers
1/4 cup smoked ham/bacon/vegetarian ham or leave out. Cooked and sliced thinly.
1/4 cup pepita seeds
1 cup water (or as needed)

 1 packet cream cheese
1/4 cup chives chopped
1/4 cup parsley chopped

1/2 large lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika

Nutworks Texas Smoked Sprinkles. (Find me at woolworths.)

Method
Pre heat oven to 180'c.
Line a muffin tray with cases or grease.
Whisk eggs and oil together in a large bowl.
Sprinkle in some salt and add into this mixture the cheese, ham, zucchini, pepita, paprika, sun-dried tomato  and spinach and some of the water.
Gently fold the flour through the wet mixture, add a little extra water from the cup of water as needed. Mixture should be reasonably runny, easy to stir texture.
Fill cases approx 3/4 full.
Bake for around 20 minutes or until golden on top.
Remove from heat and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Whip the cream cheese with an electric beater/mixer with the lemon juice and nice and smooth and a little fluffy. Adjust amount of lemon to taste. You can use just a hint and replace with water.
Use a spatula to top each muffin with the cream cheese and top with the Nutworks smokey sprinkles.
Enjoy!!

Note:

These are fantastic to take to a BBQ, picnic, dinner party

Zucchini & Chia Seed Moist Choocolate Cake

You always need chocolate right??

Zucchini and Chia seed, Moist  Chocolate cake 

A chocolate cake with some added goodness.
After 3 years being a tagged on recipe on another post I have finally out this chocyliscious baby on a post all of her own! x

A beautiful, moist chocolate cake (with added goodness).
Most of us love a chocolate cake and if you are going to have a chocolate cake why not have one with some goodness inside!

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1 cup coconut sugar (or swap for stevia)
• 1 tsp good vanilla
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 cups zucchini finely grated
• 4 free range eggs
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3 cups gluten free self raising flour, OR 2 cups organic self raising flour OR wholemeal spelt with 2 teaspoons baking powder.
• 1-2 cups whipped cream or whipped coconut cream for dairy free
• jam (I use homemade or sugar free with stevia/fruit juice sweetener )
• walnuts
• fresh strawberries to serve

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180`c
• Grease and line with baking paper 2 x 20 cm cake tins
• Gently melt chocolate and butter
• Combine chocolate butter mixture in a bowl with the sugar
• Add in vanilla essence, eggs
• Mix in almond meal and flour, mix together well
• Fold in zucchini and chia seeds
• Pour mixture into lined tins
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until springs back when touched
• Turn both cakes onto a wire rack to cool
• Once cold place one cake onto a dish, spread with a generous layer of rosella conserve and then a layer of whipped cream and some sliced fresh strawberries
• Assemble second cake on top (arrange it flat bottom on top for a neater topped cake), top with whipped cream and decorate with walnuts and fresh strawberries
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Use milk chocolate for a milder version
• Leave the cream out and instead make and use a dark chocolate icing in its place
• Squash can be used in place of zucchini if you find you have lots of them growing in your garden!
• Swap walnuts for more fresh fruit or even choc chips!
• Use wholemeal spelt flour – this does make the cake heavier so I recommend adding in some vanilla yogurt if you use any type of wholemeal flour

Rebecca xx

Kenilworth Cheese Festival and Ricotta, Carrot & Zucchini Rolls

A fabulous and easy recipe the kids will LOVE 

Kids love pastry. They love sausage rolls and party pies but as a parent you can be horrified at some of the ingredients and fat content in the ones you buy, sometimes ingredients you can't even pronounce! Which is why it is so exciting and rewarding to make your own.

This is a great, really quick and easy recipe and the kids can even help make it,and it is very budget friendly too!  

In this recipe I have used a beautiful local ricotta cheese by Kenilworth Cheese.

Kenilworth is a gorgeous little inland town in South East Queensland, a very picturesque spot and home to the fantastic family fun day out

the Kenilworth Cheese Festival

Mark the date for this festival in your diaries as it is a fantastic day out with so much to do, see and taste and lots of fun for the kids.

They even have
Cheese rolling and a cheese hunt for the kids.

We had a great time! It was a really fun day out and you come home with cheese!
It is also a really lovely drive out there and you can make a day of it, taking in the hinterland and surrounds.

Ingredients

• 250g Kenilworth fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large zucchini
• ½ cup grated Kenilworth mild cheddar cheese
• 1 Rawganix free range egg
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• salt
• 4 sheets reduced fat or gluten free puff pastry

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180`c.
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Remove pastry from freezer and let thaw slightly.
• Combine the egg and ricotta, mix together and add in turmeric and a pinch of salt.
• Add the grated carrot, zucchini and cheese, combine well.
• Cut each sheet in half. Put a layer of mixture down the centre of each piece.
• Roll closed with the pastry rolling over itself so you end up with two long rolls.
• Cut into desired lengths.
• Brush them lightly with beaten egg.
• Bake until golden brown and pastry is cooked.
• Serve!

Notes

• Add some fresh chili for a more adult version.
• The addition of some curry powder or curry paste gives a different version.
• Freeze for your own healthy version of takeaway for those times when you want a quick and easy dinner.
• I have used turmeric in this recipe for its great health properties with my own children, you can leave out.
• Great cold in the school lunchboxes!

Toddler Tips

• Make them nice and small so they are toddler hand sized
• Serve with a toddler salad of salad greens, boiled eggs, fresh crunch snow peas, cherry tomatoes, avocado and some sunflower seeds.

This is a recipe I created for client Maleny IGA and their Local Product Local Recipe - recipe card series promoting and celebrating local products from the Sunshine Coast Region.
Collect and keep the Local Products Local recipe Cards instore from the Maleny IGA.
©RebeccaMugridge2012
Maleny Supa IGA have an extensive range of kenilworth cheese products in store.