-2 C shredded zucchini
-1 C applesauce, peanut butter, almond butter, or whatever you prefer to use. I used my homemade bourbon apple butter, recipe here.
-1/3 C dark cocoa powder
-1/3 C locally sourced honey
-1 C almond meal
-1 Egg
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Other
-Dark chocolate chips for melting and dipping
-Bacon or other desired toppings like walnuts
-2 TB chia seeds
-Up to 1/4C extra almond flour for truffle mixing
So these came about by a very fortunate series of obnoxious failures. I have actually made zucchini brownies before. They actually came out really good, but were a little on the dry side. I figured they needed an egg. So I based these off a combination of recipes and these came out way too moist! I really had my heart set on taking in some paleo treats to see if anyone noticed they were different (they did not notice) and so I was pondering what to do. Rule #1, if dry cake can be mixed with moist icing to create a cake pop, wet brownies can be mixed with moisture-absorbing chia seeds and almond meal to make a truffle.
Anyway, mix the top list of ingredients together in your food processor. Pour into a well greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool, then scoop the brownies into a bowl. They are going to be really really moist and you are going to question your sanity, but you are just going to have to trust me on this one that it works!
Mix the brownie stuff with the chia seeds in the lower list and up to 1/4 C almond meal to get them to a consistency where you can roll them into a ball in your hand and they will keep their shape. You could also add in nuts or other things as you see fit. If you do not think the mixture is sweet enough, add a little more honey and increase dry ingredients as necessary.
I placed the brownie truffles on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and popped them in the freezer for about an hour. I wanted to make sure they were very well set. You can leave them in longer if you like.
Melt your chocolate, remove the truffles from the freezer and dip. I dipped all mine first, then fried up my bacon, drizzled more chocolate on them to add the bacon and make it stick, and then drizzled a little more chocolate on that to make sure that they stuck.
Depending on what your home temperature is or where you are taking these, you may want to keep them in the fridge or a cooler, especially if they have to sit out a long time. Dark chocolate never seems to set as firm as the candy bark I use for other things (completely non paleo things of course) and that is not a bad thing as long as you are prepared.
These were a big hit at the office, and a lot of people commented on how rich the bites were and how chocolatey they tasted. I was quite happy. They even got the seal of approval from the paleo eaters I know.
I just like to experiment with things like this every now and then, and the right combination of brownie that is somewhere between the first batch and these would make these have an even better texture. I am quite hopeful I can get to that point. However, I think if I have learned anything in the 365 Day Craft Challenges it is that if at first something does not quite look right, try to make it something else. I hate wasting ingredients, and these brownies just needed a little extra TLC to get them to the next level.
The ironic part is, I am not the biggest chocolate fan on the face of the earth. But I did have someone tell me today that I have given them an even bigger appreciation for bacon.
And that, my friends, is truly what matters in life.
Happy crafting!
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