Delicious chocolate chip muffins with grated zucchini. Shhh! Just don't tell anyone that second part.
Pay no attention to the lady behind the curtain grating zucchini! She is most definitely not putting it in these delicious chocolate chip muffins.
Okay, I get it. Children, for the most part, don’t like zucchini. I didn’t either, way back when. But the truth is, if you grate the stuff small enough and don’t divulge that it has been added, the muffins get eaten relatively quickly and with great enjoyment.
As you are probably guessing, this week’s Muffin Monday ingredient is zucchini, which lends itself to both savory and sweet batters. Since I was bringing this up to Lake Livingston to share with my sister and her family of three hungry young boys, I decided to go sweet and just not mention the zucchini at all. Worked like a charm!
Just Chocolate Chip Muffins (with Zucchini)
Delicious chocolate chip muffins with grated zucchini. Shhh! Just don't tell anyone that second part.
Ingredients
1 medium zucchini or courgette
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 cup or 115g white sugar
1/2 cup or 100g brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup or 80ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup or 80ml canola oil
1/2 cup or 100g semi-sweet chocolate chips plus another handful to poke on top as camouflage before baking, if desired.
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it or lining it with muffin papers.
Grate your zucchini with the small holes of your grater and spread it around in a colander to drain. Sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, sugars, cinnamon and baking powder.
In another smaller bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, vanilla and oil.
Use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to squeeze moisture out of the grated zucchini. Add it to the wet ingredient bowl and whisk.
Pour your wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until they are just combined. There should be some dry flour still showing.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
Add a few more chocolate chips to the top, if desired. Remember, we are trying to sell these as just chocolate chip muffins.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Remove the muffins from the pan and cool further on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
A side note to Communicating Across Boundaries readers: Welcome, welcome! I was thrilled when Marilyn asked if she could share my Muffin Monday posts with you all. You can find her blog in my Favorites list (up there in the left column) because, as you know, she is a rare gem and a gifted writer. I am honored by her link.
