1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with standard liners or tulip parchment liners. Set aside.

2.Wash and cut off stem ends of one 8″ long summer zucchini, set aside. Do not peel zucchini. Attach a shredding blade to the bowl of food processor, cut zucchini in half not lengthwise, to fit inside the tube chute, shred zucchini.  Layer 2-1/2 cups shredded zucchini between layers of folded paper towel to drain while you make the cupcake batter.

3.Remove the shredding blade disc from the food processor and add the steel blade to the bowl. Add vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl, process about 3 minutes. Add 2 eggs, process to blend about 1 minute.

4.Add zucchini and process 5-7 seconds, you want to do this to shred your zucchini a tiny bit more for bite size pieces. Remove batter from bowl of food processor and pour into a larger mixing bowl. Add to the batter, flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to blend with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

5. Add chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Fold to mix into batter. Scoop one dollop of cupcake batter into each cupcake liner as the batter will rise perfectly with one scoop. I used a 2″ spring loaded ice cream scoop/or dasher.

6. Bake in 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean, not including melted chocolate chips. Remove from oven, cool cupcakes in the pan to touch, remove from cupcake pan. At this point you can frost if desired. However they are very sweet and not necessary to frost.

Cupcakes are best eaten day made or they will be great on day  two. Keep covered in container to retain freshness at room temperature.  Recipe makes 14 cupcakes.