CHANGE UP!

Hello!! I don't know if I've ever posted a recipe/food blog before, but I decided to bake the other day and was focused enough to take pictures throughout the entire process so that I could share!  If you're anything like me, chocolate is right up there with oxygen, shelter, sleep, coffee, etc.

  I had a bunch of extra zucchini and I remember our next door neighbors growing up always made the BEST zucchini brownies and it always astonished me that a treat could taste so good even with vegetables inside it (who knew!?..just kidding, it's pretty much common knowledge, but as a kid, I was pretty dumbfounded.)

Anyways, I got the recipe here and made a few adjustments along the way.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies Recipe:

Ingredients: 

Brownies:

2 cups chopped, raw zucchini

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I used baking chocolate powder and it was fine!)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used a dark unsweetened chocolate bar and approximated)

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In a blender, puree zucchini, oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly moistened.  Pour batter into greased pan, spread evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.  Frost while still warm.

Frosting:

Combine chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter and vanilla in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 30-40 seconds.  Remove bowl from the microwave and whisk until chocolate chips are melted and your frosting is smooth.  Add powdered sugar and whisk together until smooth.  Spread your frosting evenly over your warm brownies.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

And there you have it! They were pretty delicious, but too messy to really cut up and share easily.  That's okay, I'd rather have moist and messy than dry and crumbly. :)

Hope you enjoyed the little baking interlude!

♥g.