Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Don't you love it when an experiment goes oh-so right? I had planned to make my Savory Zucchini Slice for my dinner guest, but had already prepared a savory starter and main, so why not something a little sweeter for dessert? I didn't want to use sweeteners, of course, so I used the next best thing - raw cacao powder! Playing on the inherent sweetness (to me) of zucchini, the resulting muffins tasted almost exactly like the carby rubbish (low fat, of course) I used to inhale on a regular basis. Moist, rich, tasty perfection, with visual appeal to boot!


Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:

3 small zucchini, grated finely
6 eggs
1 cup coconut flour or almond flour
1/2T baking powder (although the slice works well without it)
1T cinnamon
1/2 cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa)
1/2 cup coconut oil or melted butter
1/2t salt (unless you're using salted butter, like I do)
Some chopped nuts and coconut flakes for topping

Optional - stevia or maple syrup to taste (or make available to add later upon serving, if desired)


Method:

1. Preheat oven to moderate - around 175 deg C.

2. Line and grease a muffin tray

3. Separate eggs, placing yolks in a large mixing bowl, and whites in a medium bowl for whipping. Whip whites until fluffy.

3. In the large bowl, combine zucchini, egg yolks, spices, and oil.

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture, and stir until combined.

5. Fold egg whites into batter carefully, then pour everything into prepared pans.

6. Sprinkle with nuts/flakes, and bake for at around 50 minutes, watching carefully for burning. The mixture's density means that it will cook quite slowly, but if you see burning happening before the muffins bounce back when prodded with a finger, turn the heat down to 100 deg C and allow the centre to cook slowly.

Serve warm or cold with cream, fruit, and maple syrup if desired. I enjoy them alone, although coconut flour can be quite drying in the mouth.



The review from the panel? "They taste just like normal chocolate muffins - though it's good to know they've got zucchini in them, else the green bits inside would be a tad concerning..." True. And scrumptious!