Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I know what your thinking, "Kendra, why on earth would I ruin a perfectly good chocolate muffin by adding zucchini to it?!"  Well for one, the moisture in the zucchini helps keep these muffins super soft and delicious, even after they have been frozen.  Second, why not sneak some veggies into your body without even noticing you are eating them?  Last but not least, what else are you going to do with all the zucchinis you inevitably receive from the gardening friends and neighbors?  If your reading this, thanks for the zucchini Pam!!

My Mom has been making these muffins for as long as I can remember.  I also seem to remember her using the batter to make bundt cakes and glazing it with some kind of delicious chocolate glaze.  I might be way out to lunch on that but maybe Mom can confirm in the comments if this actually occurred.  I will warn you that the women in our family have horrendous memories so the chances of her remembering aren't very good.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (Makes 24 muffins)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1t vanilla
1/2 cup sour milk*
2 1/2 cups flour
4T cocoa powder
1/2t baking powder
1t baking soda
1/2t cinnamon
1/2t cloves**
2 cups grated zucchini

*Add 1t of lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.  This will sour the milk and thicken it slightly.
**If you don't have cloves, which I never seem to do, you can also substitute allspice and it will taste just as delicious!

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease muffin tins or line with muffin cups.  In a large mixing bowl cream butter, oil and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk mixing until incorporated. In a separate bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.  Stir in the zucchini.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter; approx. 1/4 cup.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

To add a little more chocolaty goodness to these muffins you can also add chocolate chips to the batter, or just sprinkle a few on top of each muffin.  I was out of chocolate chips so they were left out this time.  I did however add a few scoops of chia seeds to the batter.  I like adding chia seeds to different things I bake to give them at least a little nutritional value, that and I have them so I might as well use them!