For this Muffin Monday I want to share our families number one favorite muffins.  These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are hearty, like a muffin should be, always moist because 2 cups of zucchini, but they taste like dessert because CHOCOLATE! And your friends named Caroline are always game for a day that starts with chocolate.  This recipe makes 24 muffins, which is awesome because they freeze really well and we usually end up eating them for weeks.  I honestly make them ALL THE TIME, because my kids are terrible at breakfast without these lovely gems.  I wrap each one with plastic wrap then defrost them in the microwave, it’s also nice to take a little plate of them to a friend or neighbor, and if you put some frosting or melted chocolate on top they double as a cupcake!

1 cup coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil of most any variety, or even butter if you want)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (you could use all white, but I’m healthing it up for you!)
(scant) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line two 12 count muffin tins with liners or grease them.
2. In a large bowl beat the oil and sugars for a few minutes than add the eggs beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix well.
3. These muffins work out for me even when I add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, but if you want to be sure everything is mixed you can pre-mix the dry ingredients.  Add flours and on top of that put your cocoa then add the baking soda and baking powder, salt, and spices.  Mix all of that in adding your zucchini once the dry ingredients are incorporated then put in your chocolate chips and make sure it’s all combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.  Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.  Store loosely covered and whatever you don’t eat after the first day or two wrap individually with plastic wrap and freeze to eat for weeks.