Wasabi-Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins

I want full color, even in my baked goods, because Spring is springing forth and it has put me in the mood.  The dark green peeling left on the zucchini for when it’s grated to peek through the muffin cake, the vibrant Easter-green on the wasabi peas– then finely ground into somewhat of a powder– cheerful and tasty combined into a sweet pastry or cake, showing up as bold green specks in the moist muffin…  I want the floral scent of almond extract, cardamom, and fresh lemon…  The birds are even sounding different when they chirp– and in the middle of the night.  I baked these at 2:00 in the morning!  I had the notion to take up serious bakery hours like a silly-willy.  But, hey, these baby-cakes were ready for breakfast when 7:00 hit!

 I used a small Cuisinart coffee grinder to finely grind 1/3 cup wasabi peas.  Set aside the ground peas.  On the large side of a box grater, using a coarse grate, freshly grate zucchini for 1 cup.  Squeeze the grated zucchini in paper towels to rid of excess liquid, then measure again to make sure it’s a full cup of zucchini.  Zest 1 lemon.Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal muffin mix, not straight-up cornmeal— the muffins will be softer this way…  Add to dry ingredients 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 cup sugar plus half of 1/3 cup sugar, the 1/3 cup finely ground wasabi peas, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, the lemon zest, a good pinch of salt, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1 large egg, then whisk in 1 cup whole milk, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil along with 1 teaspoon almond extract and a good squirt of fresh lemon juice from the lemon in which the rind was added in a zest for the dry ingredients.  Gently stir the wet into the dry; fill into buttered or paper-lined muffin tins and bake approximately 15 minutes at 400º.Enjoy these babies, they’re fresh for Spring!