secret recipe club: double chocolate zucchini muffins with chocolate butter

this year's garden is puny compared to years' past. a couple tomato plants, started from seed by my grandfather, a couple cucumber plants that aren't doing so well, and a big pot of basil. that's it. no peas, no green beans, no corn, no zucchinis. while i was digging through our deep freezer i noticed one last bag of shredded zucchini leftover from last year's bumper crop and quickly decided i'd try to healthify (is that a word?!) my next baked good with zucchini. once these were warm out of the oven, the only thing they need - besides a cup of hot coffee - is a slather of butter. and if we're going to have butter, why not make it chocolate flavored?!

for this month's secret recipe club selection, i chose jessie weaver's double chocolate zucchini spice muffins. these are very easy, a great way to use up both frozen or fresh zucchini - in case you're lucky enough to be overrun with them right now - and the cinnamon and nutmeg add a great flavor kick. they also freeze beautifully.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: butterscotch M&M oatmeal cookies, 30 minute baked tortellini, snickerdoodle bars & slow cooker chicken fajitas, meyer lemon iced raspberry yogurt cake & slow cooker chicken cacciatore, almond strawberry jam thumbprints, almond butter cookies, enfrijoladas, chocolate snack cake, bacon topped maple french toast cupcakes, cherry sorbet, slow cooker beans & mushrooms, mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

double chocolate zucchini muffins with chocolate butter

adapted from jessie weaver

15 minutes + baking time, makes 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini muffins

for the muffins:

1 3/4 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

about 1 cup shredded zucchini

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

for the chocolate butter:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

pinch salt

1. preheat your oven to 400F. line muffin cups with paper liners or grease generously and set aside.
2. in a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt) until well blended.
3. in a medium bowl, whisk the zucchini, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
4. add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix just until combined. stir in the chocolate chips.
5. fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. bake regular sized muffins for about 20 minutes and mini muffins for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool in the pan for a couple minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack.
6. to make the butter, mix the butter, cocoa, and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar until well blended. taste and add more sugar and/or a pinch of salt to your liking. serve with the muffins and store in the refrigerator.

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