Submitted by: Sandra J.
Recipe Source Country: from the USA but Czech version
Cooking/Prep time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients (for eight servings, small cake tin)

The Dough:

  • 1 cup of semi-coarse flour
  • 1 cup of grated zucchini
  • ¼ cup of caster sugar
  • ¼ cup of cocoa power
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 1/8 cup of canola/sunflower oil

For Decoration:

  • Topping: 1 dark chocolate bar + shredded coconut
  • Lighter version: fresh fruit only + dusting of icing sugar

Directions

  1. Mix all the dry ingredients, then add the squeezed zucchini and lastly add the oil and mix well.
  2. Grease the mold with a little vegetable oil and than cover it with flour or coconut.
  3. Pour the batter into the tin and bake it for 25-35 minutes at 180 °C (you can tell if the brownies are done by using the classic test with a skewer, i.e. when the batter no longer sticks to it).
  4. Prepare the icing/decoration: melt the chocolate/fruit in a water bath.
  5. Leave the baked brownies to cool down for a while, pour the icing on top or decorate as you wish – alternatively, you can add some homemade jam under the icing.
  6. Let the finished brownies cool down completely. You can also store it in the fridge, but the chocolate will harden a lot, so it is good to take it out of the fridge for a while before serving.

This international delicacy, which in our Czech family is already inexplicably linked to the second half of summer; we often joke that it is during this period that people could greet each other with the formula “Hi, do you want some zucchini?” instead of the usual “Hi, how are you?” Because zucchini is so abundant at this time of year, it makes its way into delicious dishes where one would not expect it, or even discover it – and this brownie is no exception; it has already been a success beyond Czech borders. Moreover, the recipe is also suitable for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan.