Zuchinni Blondies

That’s right people, zuchinni blondies, and they are vegan too!  Last week in Fire Island, my husband’s friends rented a house for the week.  Erin and Marcus have a veggie garden on Long Island and I was the proud recipient of their leftover unused fresh produce.  Of course there was a bevvy of zuchinni, um…about 5 foot longs that is.  That’s a lot of zuchinni to deal with!  I also got some cucumbers and a couple of  baby red and yellow onions.  I have grilled some of the zuchinni, grated it for a succotash, and then got to thinking that I remember my mother baking zuchinni bread when I was younger.  I don’t even remember ever trying it but I do have vivid recollections of refusing to eat it.  Again, I am ashamed by my culinary behavior when I was young but I am making up for it now. 

I really wanted to incorporate at least a half of one of the zuchinnis into my concoction.  I also do not have my whole kitchen available to me and am making do with what the beach house has.  In the end I decided on blondies because I felt that their richness could hold up to so much of a vegetable incorporated into it.  I am not one for sneaking vegetables into kids or adults food but this would be the way to do it.  They are moist without being heavy with green flecked shreds shrouding chocolate chips and a nice snap from the almonds.  I adapted this recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen’s website.  I’ll be doing this with carrots in the future.

prep time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
cooking time:  40 minutes
servings: 15-30 blondies, depending on how big/small they are cut

Zuchinni Blondies

2 1/2 c. grated zuchinni (I used my box grater with the biggest holes and then spread my zuchinni on 2 layers of paper towels, covered them with two more layers of paper towels which I weighted down with some cans of tomatoes and put in the fridge)
2 ripe bananas, mashed smooth
1 c. coconut oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tblsp. rum (optional)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped almonds (or the nut of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 350F

Combine the zuchinni, bananas, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and rum together until well blended.  In another bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and combine until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips.  Spread in a greased 11 x 17 inch pan and spread the blondie batter in the pan.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Check for doneness by sticking a knife of toothpick in the center.  If it comes out clean it is done.  Cool completetly (if you can stand it) and cut into squares.  I like to store them in the fridge and eat them cold.