I admit that I’m the one who put black beans in the brownies, and now … zucchini! You’re probably wondering, “Why can’t she just leave the brownies alone?” It’s all about guilt, my friends. If brownies are filled with veggies, they’re healthy, right?! OK, not really, but they are a little more nutritious for you. Plus, a coworker gifted me with an excess of zukes and I can only eat so much zucchini bread and soup.
I adapted this recipe from the Old Farmer’s Almanac archives. I wanted straight-up chocolaty goodness, so I omitted the cinnamon and ground cloves. The result? Delicious, cakelike, somewhat-good-for-you brownies. Go on, give it a try. You know you want to!
Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk, with 1 teaspoon lemon juice added to sour
2-1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups shredded zucchini
2/3 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour milk and beat until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and zucchini. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir until well blended. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Makes 20 brownies.
Tell us what you make with your zucchini crop!
