The Deerslayer's Wife
Embracing the Hunting Lifestyle
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Rubbish Muffins
Well, friends, that lull that occurs between dove season and deer season down here in South Texas has come and gone. Before things got too hectic, before my house was once again piled with coolers and camo, while I still had some control over my household, I thought it was only appropriate that I should make muffins.
Muffins are soothing. They make the house smell yummy. And, as some of you who have been following my ramblings for a while are already aware, muffins allow me to use up my stash of cereal crumbs that I collect. These crumbs are just rubbish to most people, the stuff that is left over and thrown away. For some reason, there seems to be a pretty high percentage of crumbs in every box of cereal. In my mind, while I’m not willing to make my family pour up a bowl of crumbs and choke them down with milk, it seems just plain wasteful to throw away perfectly usable breakfast stuff. So I came up with a couple of recipes like Cranberry Rubbish Muffins and Apricot Brandy Rubbish Muffins that incorporated the crumbs.
I was in the mood for a really chocolatey version of my dear rubbish muffins. Since one of the Junior Deerslayers is a real Chocolate connoisseur, I had in my larder some black cocoa from King Arthur Flour’s online store. It adds a very intense unsweetened dark chocolate flavor and color and can be added sparingly to substitute for a small amount of regular Dutch processed cocoa powder in recipes.
I went a step further to send these muffins over the top with deep dark chocolatey notes by adding a tablespoon of espresso powder (also from King Arthur Flour’s website). It really deepens the intensity of the almost bitter dark chocolate flavor in recipes.
The family was pleased with the results and I used up my cereal crumbs.
Make these muffins, send them with your hunters and express your love in the best possible way… before the house is full of coolers and camo!
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Rubbish Muffins
Makes one dozen
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 1 tbs. dark cocoa powder
- 1 tbs. espresso powder*
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 3/4 cup AP flour
- 3/4 cup cereal crumbs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp. each; ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom)
* or use 1/3 cup cocoa powder instead of combination of 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tbs. dark cocoa powder, and 1 tbs. espresso powder
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 12 cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light in color. Whisk in brown sugar and oil. Add the cocoa powders, espresso powder, and vanilla. Stir in cereal crumbs.
In a second smaller bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spices.
Add dry ingredients to egg mixture a little at a time. Fold in zucchini.
Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack.
For a extra burst of chocolate, drizzle each muffin with prepared chocolate frosting, microwaved for a few seconds until pourable.
The Deerslayer's Wife 
A very nifty idea, Mrs Deerslayer. You are an efficient house keep! I too have been some what unimpressed with the crumbs residing at the bottom of my cereal boxes. Turning them into a chocolate muffin is, well, genius, and about the best use ever for but what most folk presume only rubbish.
I’l eat anything chocolate, any time. These sound delicious!