Recipe for chocolate muffins

I hate breakfast; I know I need to eat something, but I am always too groggy to decide what it should be.  And I have learned from experience that Chili Cheese Fritoes, at least at my age, will not get you through to lunchtime.

I have taken to making and freezing large quantities of muffins so that I don't have to do much thinking in the morning.  This recipe delivers some healthy ingredients (veggies, grains, fiber...) in a tiny chocolate cake package: a perfect reward for getting out of bed. These are also dessert-like enough to please friends and family who are visiting this time of year, the freeloaders...


Chocolaty Morning Muffins
 Makes about 20


Cream together:
1 ¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable or canola oil

Add:
½ cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Then add:
1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups shredded zucchini
¼ cup walnut pieces
1/8 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/8 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 °F.  Mix batter thoroughly and pour into paper-lined muffin tin.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.  Will keep, frozen, up to one month.