Zucchini Brownies....Delicious!

This is by far the best way to eat zucchini in my opinion (notice I didn't say healthiest).  Don't be fooled by the name this certainly isn't a health food.  I love these things.  I think I could eat a whole pan myself.  They have a cake like texture but are super moist and much more dense than cake.  Ooooh and the chocolate frosting...yummy!

I don't remember where I got this recipe or I would tell you.  I've had it since I first got married and we had our first garden and we tried to come up with ways of using up our truckloads of zucchini without eating it for every meal and making zucchini bread every other night.

It seems like zucchini doubles in size overnight in the garden and when it's too big to eat alone this is my favorite thing to make with it.  When I have more of it than I can handle, I wash them up, shred it all but the seeds and put them into freezer bags in 2 cup portions so I can have this scrumptious treat year round.

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into sugar mixture.  Fold in zucchini and walnuts.  Batter will be thick.  Spread evenly into greased 9"x13" pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting

6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt together cocoa and butter; set aside to cool.  In a medium bowl, blend powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Stir in cocoa mixture.  Spread evenly over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.  Enjoy!