I thought that I would start off with a recipe for a sweet, Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bars. Unlike most recipes, this one calls for chopped and not shredded zucchini. If you want it totally hidden, it can be peeled. I never bother with peeling it myself. Although I use buttermilk, this is one instance where the 1/2 t. lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 c. milk works fine. I top the bars with a simple chocolate glaze.
This an adaptation of a recipe from The Zucchini Cookbook by Paula Simmons, 1974. This is a cookbook that belonged to my mother.
Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bars
adapted from The Zucchini Cookbook by Paula Simmons, 1974
1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. unsifted flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
2 c. finely diced zucchini
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 T. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
1-2 T. hot water
Cream butter, vegetable oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat in egg, vanilla and buttermilk. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add to sugar mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in diced zucchini. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. When cool, combine butter, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa and vanilla until well blended. Stir in enough hot water to make a glaze consistency. Spread evenly over the top of cooled bars. Let glaze set up, then cut into bars. Makes about 36 bars
Do you have a favorite sweet recipe that uses zucchini as an ingredient?
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