One cookbook that I use over and over again is Rebar. If you are not familiar with Rebar it is a nice little restaurant in Victoria on Vancouver Island. I had the chance to eat there and tried their Three Sisters Burrito filled with roasted squash, pinto beans, corn and served with a mesa red sauce. It was delicious. The staff is very friendly and the place fills up fast during the week-end so expect a lineup.
Yesterday driving around my new place I found a farmer stand not too far from home. I spent $20 and came back with a box full of fresh vegetables. I had zucchinis, the best I had since a long time and decided to use them in a soup and in cupcakes. To make the cupcakes I used a really good cocoa from Epicure Selections. It's important in order to achieve a dark, deep flavor of chocolate in the cupcakes. For the 'chocolate chips I used the Special Dark from Hershey's. There is buttermilk in the batter but no need to run to the grocery, you can use plain yogurt. I had Greek yogurt on hand and it was perfect. The recipe says that it will yield 20 cupcakes but I like to have a nice round top on my cupcakes so I ended up with 17. Rebar served them with a cream cheese frosting but they are really good on their own.
It is a rainy day today in Ottawa and it was hard to take great pictures. I still did and I am not satisfied with the results but I wanted to make sure that you have a picture of the cupcakes to look at.
from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterburg & Wanda Urbanowicz
Chocolate and zucchini, what an unusual combination, but it sounds pretty intriguing.
ReplyDeleteChocolate and zucchini! What a great combo. Don't know that I would have thought to put that together. Either it's great looking!
ReplyDeleteTes cupcakes sont merveilleusement appétissants!!!
ReplyDeleteJ'en prendrais bien un!!!
These cupcakes are pretty and they look really delicious too!
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate and zucchini together (although I've never had them as cupcakes but as bread). The picture is very appealing.
ReplyDeleteLooks soo good and chocolatey! Yummy Yummy..
ReplyDeleteThe brown sugar in here is great for moisture and flavor. So sweet with a little added healthy factor from the zucchini. How nice.
ReplyDeleteI've made chocolate zucchini quickbread but not cupcakes, and I bet I'd like these even better than the bread. Great photography!
ReplyDeleteLove the pic cupcakes look beautiful and yummy.
ReplyDeleteThese look so yummy, and a nice way to use all the wonderful zucchini that is available right now.
ReplyDeleteYahoo...you are back and posting and sharing your wonderful photos...this one looks so elegant and nice, and you know, if I am saying this about a chocolate photo, it really must be so!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photography as always :) I've always been intrigued by chocolate and zucchini combo, and your cupcakes may just be the nudge I need to try it out!
ReplyDeleteYou know I love the Rebar cookbook! These look SO good. I haven't tried making them yet but should make them soon!
ReplyDeletewhat a sneaky way to get the children to eat zucchini.....I bet it made those cupcakes moist and delicious!!
ReplyDeleteLove zuchinni cupcakes, the buttermilk would make them nice and moist. Rebar sounds like a great little place to have lunch at.
ReplyDeletewhat a fabulous way to use up all the summer zucchini!
ReplyDeleteHelene, these had to be great just looking at the list of ingredients. We've gone mad over dark chocolate and hardly ever use anything else.
ReplyDeleteSam
I made zucchini cake once and it's so yummy! I can't wait to try with chocolate!
ReplyDeleteI make a chocolate zucchini cake and I love it. These look great. Congratulation on food network using this.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Do you squeeze the excess moisture from the grated zucchini or is it left in and accounted for in the recipe?
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your blog somehow and I'm so glad I did. I hadn't heard of Rebar. Anyway, I made the cupcakes and they are so amazing. I thought allspice seemed weirder than zucchini, but it worked perfectly. Your pictures are amazing.
ReplyDeleteDiana: yes you squeeze out the water the excess moisture from the grated zucchinis.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved the sound of chocolate zucchini cake for chocolate beetroot cake. I haven't given it a go yet, but will have to soon.
ReplyDeleteYour little cakes look delicious!