Zucchini cupcakes revisited -- now with chocolate chip streusel!

• Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup safflower oil

2 tbsp. ground flax meal

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Chocolate Chip Streusel:

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients together, then add chocolate chips. Top each cupcake with around 1 TBSP of streusel mix before putting in oven.


Method:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• 
  
• 1. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
• 2. Stir in the flour, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.
• 3. Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pans, Bundt pan or muffin tins (filling these last 2/3 of the way full.) Bake at 350* for 20 to 25 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle.
• 4. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

I like to drizzle a glaze on the Bundt cake or even spread store-bought icing on the cupcakes. My kids love this and I figure it's a good way to use up the zucchini bounty of summer!

NOTE: This makes 2 loaves and about 30 cupcakes. One Bundt cake, of course.

ANOTHER NOTE: Sometimes I even make this in my breadmaker and it couldn't be simpler -- just throw all the ingredients in the pan at once. I think this might be the preferred method because it breaks the grated zucchini up so much that it's not noticeable at all! Plus, it is super easy.

LAST NOTE, I PROMISE: This freezes VERY well, no matter which form you choose to bake.