Want to bake with zucchini brownies and chocolate cake?

Want to bake something with zucchini and chocolate? I know every cookbook has zucchini recipes along with many recipes on Pinterest if you do a search. Why not add a couple more to your collection with these delicious chocolate and dessert recipes using zucchini.

First what is a zucchini ?

According to The Spruce Eats;

Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, is a member of the cucumber and melon family and is harvested while immature, making the rind tender and edible, like all summer squashes.

Botanically, zucchini is a fruit, but it’s treated as a vegetable. It is derived from a similar vegetable that was common in Mexico and the northern parts of South America thousands of years ago. Squash was one of the main foods that Native Americans ate, along with corn and beans. The term squash comes from the Narragansett Native American word askutasquash, which means “eaten raw or uncooked.”

However, today’s version is a variety of summer squash developed in Italy, where it was often referred to as green Italian squash. The Europeans who colonized the Americas brought it back to their homeland, where its cultivation began. The word zucchini is the plural form of the Italian zucchini, meaning a small gourd.

It’s not expensive, and that’s especially true in the summertime when it’s found in excess in home gardens and farmers’ markets.

What exactly does it taste like?

Zucchini has a mild flavor with a touch of sweetness. Because it tends to be watery it adds moisture to bread and yes even cakes! ANd of course, with its mild flavor, you can add almost any seasoning to it!

Cooking with Zucchini

Anyone who has grown zucchini in a garden knows that there are a number of recipes this vegetable is good for. You can grate it and add it to savory dishes, slice it thin and sautee it in olive oil on top of the stove for a quick side to your meal. Scoop out the seeds and stuff it and yes as I mentioned before even bake with it!

Where Can I find Zucchini?

If you do not have a garden or neighbors that will happily give away their surplus you can always find these at your local farmers market or grocery store. Just watch for smaller sizes which have more flavor; less than 8 inches long. This size is more tender and has less water than the larger ones. If by chance you had a few get away and grow overnight to the size of your arm, just use these big ones for bread or baking. Their taste is a bit more bitter and also more watery.

A couple of tips for these great tasting brownies. By using a jelly roll pan the batter spreads out thinner than your normal 9×13 inch cake pan. Here is a link to this size pan which I really use a lot! You can also add the chocolate chips after you remove the pan from the oven. The brownies are hot enough that they will melt in a few seconds. You can then spread the chocolate easily.

Zucchini Brownies:

This recipe is from a friend. She brought these delicious brownies to work on a regular basis in the summer. I think you will agree they are a delicious way to use up that extra zucchini!

This next recipe is similar to the first but by adding milk and oil it will be more of a cake batter consistency.

So as you can see zuccini can be used in many ways! This weekend we celebrate “National Leave a zucchini on your neighbors porch day”! Why not bake up one of these treats and leave a plate of one of these instead?

Want to try some other recipes just check out my other blog post recipes I have shared!

Please Share With Your Friends!