Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Someone described these mini cupcakes as analogous to a wild strawberry: all the flavor of a big cupcake packed into one little bite. It's true, these tiny cupcakes are so chocolaty and so moist and so insanely good. I used 60-70% bittersweet chocolate in both the cupcakes and the ganache (chocolate topping). As a substitute for oil, I tried using coconut oil. Coconut oil is a little weird looking if you haven't used it before - you have to warm it up a little so that it's pourable (and it's a little expensive) but the results are awesome. The cupcakes have a slight coconut aroma and taste - just enough to make you think twice about what that flavor was. And if you're still not convinced? You'll use up one of those extra zucchini's you have lying around this time of year... Enjoy!!
RECIPE: Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
adapted from  Heidi Swanson (101Cookbooks.com) and Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook
makes about 50 mini cupcakes (or 20 regular)

INGREDIENTS:
Cupcakes:
1.5 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil or natural coconut oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar)
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa (whisk to remove clumps)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon allspice
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

Ganache "frosting"
1/2 cup heavy cream
4.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chips or chopped bar)

DIRECTIONS:
Cupcakes:
Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease/spray cupcake pans and line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, butter, and oil. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini, and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon (or use a small cookie-scoop) the batter into muffin tins, filling to about 1/4 of in inch below the top of the paper liner. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes (35 minutes for regular cupcakes). Keep an eye on them and remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.

Ganache:
Place chocolate chips (or chopped pieces) in a small to medium sized bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Bring cream just to a boil (watch it - it will boil quickly). Immediately pour hot cream over chocolate. Let sit for a couple minutes, then slowly whisk/stir together the cream and melted chocolate until a thick chocolate sauce forms. Spoon, frost, or use a piping bag to top the cupcakes with the ganache. The longer the ganache sits out, the more solid it will become. If you want it more pourable, you can loosen it back up by heating gently on the stove or in the microwave.