Zucchini Bread Balls are as simple as whipping up your favorite recipe and using a special pan.
I often struggle with the creative side of my brain. I’m a very analytical thinker, and therefore out of the box ideas, and “playing pretend” has been quite the struggle for me.
This became apparent to my family when I was just 2 years old and refused to stir the fake cookie batter in our rendition of Little Red Riding Hood until there were actual ingredients in the bowl. Grandma couldn’t have cookies made from thin air.
I’m not saying I can’t be creative. I can, it’s just not as natural for me as it is for others. I like to follow recipes, only changing a few things here and there as I go along. I prefer instructions to build crafts, and my poor kiddos have no idea what I’m building when I play LEGO’s with them – truth be told, neither do I.
So this past month, when our oven’s pilot light went out, I could have let the non-creative side cry and give in to stove top pasta every day for a month, or I could allow that glimmer of creation eek out a bit.
As it turns out, necessity breeds creativity. Share on X
Now I know, there are other dishes besides pasta I can cook on the stove top. Really we weren’t hurting for actual meals. The real let down came to our sweet tooth. The kids are home for the summer, and they want cookies! Our garden is growing, and I wanted Zucchini Bread! I have not found a solution to the cookie dilemma yet, but these stove-top Zucchini Bread Balls are the bomb!
I don’t know that I’ll ever make a loaf again since these don’t require slicing, and losing precious crumbs all over the counter. Plus they’re bite-size. Everything is better bite-size, right?
The key to my creative genius this month was an Aebelskiver pan. Mark bought me one early in our marriage so I could make poffertjes – a Christmas morning staple from my childhood.
When making Zucchini Bread Balls, heat your pan over high heat, but just before adding the batter, turn it down to low. The cast iron pan will retain the heat for a nice even ‘bake’. Left on high, and you’ll burn the outside of the balls, and have a very doughy center. On the same token, if you don’t heat the pan hot enough you’ll be waiting a long time for those balls to cook.
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups shredded Zucchini
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp California lemon peel
- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Combine zucchini, sugar, oil, egg, and lemon peel.
- Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture, and stir just until combined.
- Heat Aebelskiver pan on high for 1 minute. Turn heat to low.
- Fill each hole half full with batter.
- When the bottom is browned, use a toothpick to turn the batter, and cook the other side.
- Remove from pan, and enjoy warm with butter.
