Even though my next self portrait series photo is due, I couldn’t bear to do two posts in a row with me in them, so I thought I would share my very favorite recipe for summer. Let me first say that in a world chocked full of amazing food blogs, I don’t kid myself to think I have much to add to that realm. However, when I, a mere mortal, finds a recipe that rocks my world, I stop and share it.

In the summer there’s usually plenty of zucchini floating around. Heck, people usually can’t give them away once August hits, so tuck this one away and you’ll be leaning over the pan slamming these brownies at your kitchen counter while you watch reruns of The Office this summer. (Not that I would ever do that…)

Oh and yes, there’s zucchini in them and NO you can’t taste the zucchini. They are incredibly moist because of the zucchini and I suppose if you ignore all the sugar and chocolate, you can count that as a veggie serving. They are seriously SO freaking good. They remind me a bit of a Texas sheet cake I remember eating at family reunions as a kid. Goooooood stuff. Miles begs for this recipe all the time and my husband thinks I’m the most amazing thing in the world when I make these. Oh, and I’m pretty pleased with myself too when I create a pan of these beauties.

(That fabric is actually an apron made by the talented Cassie. Love her.)

So here’s the recipe, with a few notes to consider first:

• Leave the skin on the zucchini when you shred it.

• You can shred the zucchini with a cheese grater. However, a grater attachment on a stand mixer will rock your world and make VERY quick work of shredding the veggies for you.

• Once you shred the zucchini, squeeze as much of the juice out of it as you can before measuring it for the recipe. If you don’t remove the majority of the liquid from the veggie, it will be too runny.

• I don’t add nuts to the brownies, but if that’s your thing, go for it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional. Betsy says, “ewwwww”)

Frosting ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (this is powdered sugar)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.

• To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture.

• Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Enjoy and put those summer zucchini to super yummy use! Let me know how it goes.