Hiding Vegetables

When I was first recovering Doodle from Autism, she had a serious aversion to vegetables...really, have you ever met a child that didn't? What is a mother to do? When I started baking Gluten and Dairy Free, I decided to hide vegetables and protein in her favorite snacks to up her daily doses. Hiding vegetables is super easy. I ran some zucchini through my food processor until it was pureed. I then packaged this up into small batches and placed in my freezer for later use. Whenever I baked a batch of brownies, I threw in several packages of zucchini and Voila! Doodle was enjoying vegetables without even knowing it!

We love to make these brownies from Elana's Pantry modified to include zucchini. The zucchini makes the brownies turn out super moist, the almond butter gives Doodle added protein, and the Agave nectar ensures the brownies are sugar free. It's the perfect snack any time of the day! Here's my version of Elana's fabulous brownies:

1 16 oz jar Almond Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Zucchini - pureed
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1. Beat almond butter on high speed with a mixer until smooth. Add in eggs and beat thoroughly.
2. Add agave nectar, vanilla, and zucchini and mix until well blended.
3.  Add cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Mix together.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Place in a seasoned, square glass baking dish (I use corning ware) and bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Doodle loves these brownies slightly warm with a scoop of my Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream on top. Mmmm - the ultimate bedtime treat on a hot summer day!