Zucchini Muffins

 The original title of this recipe is "the best zucchini muffins" (click here for post and recipe found at melskitchencafe) and I baked them thinking "right, sure, the best..uh huh, whatever" - I had the ingredients and I like this blog so I figured what the heck. Even after making them I wasn't convinced they were "the best" but then I started getting feedback about them - Brooke's friend Erica requested that I make more just for her and my friend Rhonda B. said "they are recipe book worthy" to which I replied that I'm quoting her on the blog and she said that's fine as long as I share the recipe. Which makes me want to hoard the recipe and not tell anyone since they are that great hahahaha. But I wouldn't do that :)

So here ya go Rhonda!

Ingredients (I'm giving you how I did it, Mel's options are in parentheses):

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil (you can substitute avocado, vegetable, or coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute white whole wheat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini lightly squeezed of excess water
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional (you can use milk chocolate or bittersweet)
• coarse sugar for sprinkling on top, optional 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350'. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until the batter is just mixed together, do not over-mix.
5. Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips if using. It's ok if the batter is still slightly lumpy.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin. Add a few chocolate chips to the top of each muffin for presentation (note: I did it but it is totally not necessary), or sprinkle with coarse sugar if you omit the chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch.
8. Let cool for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.                    Makes 12 muffins

my notes:

• this made 12 standard size muffins filled 2/3 full, plus I had enough leftover batter for 11 mini muffins. If you make minis they bake for about 8 minutes.
• I shred the zucchini using my food processor with the shredding disk. You could use a box grater instead.
• to squeeze the water out of shredded zucchini  - I gently press handfuls between my palms over the sink, then put on a paper towel and press a little more. It doesn't have to be bone dry, just remove the excess.

one year ago today: mason jar lunchables. I still think this is a genius idea!