Apple Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins

i have always loathed zucchini bread. when i mention this people always say things like, "what? why? you can't even taste the zucchini!" & "blah blah blah!" & "zucchini is my lover!" & other such nonsense.

but it's true. perhaps it's a complex because it contains my arch nemesis. perhaps it's because as a child my mother would make me tend to the stupid garden that only seemed to produce zucchini & squash; & then after making us choke down said zucchini & squash for dinner EVERY NIGHT (with onions!!!) she would put me in charge of blending the zucchini so she could make some terribly dense, & often times over or undercooked, zucchini bread.

it was a painful existence, my childhood. & those summers of dinnertime & breakfast hell have always stuck with me.

i'd like to take a minute here & clarify that my mother is pretty great. she made sure we were fed, clothed, bathed & had a healthy fear of lying & hell. but a fabulous baker of zucchini bread she was not. no, no she was not.

anyway- now that i'm a grown up & i'm no longer forced to eat zucchini & squash (VICTORY), i don't. ever. & it's pretty awesome.
but a lovely co-worker gifted me with some zucchini recently & i wanted to use it. so i got to work, scouring Pinterest, for the best zucchini bread recipe i could find. i finally tossed a few together & tweaked them a bit & came up with my own....& i love it.

Apple Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread Muffins (mainly via mel's)
You Need:
1 - 1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded & wrung through a towel to get rid of excess liquid (1ish lbs)
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tblsp ground Flax Seed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 apple pie spice
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup Chobani Apple Cinnamon Greek yogurt
1 tblsn lemon juice
6 tblsp butter, melted
1/2 Hershey's cinnamon chips (optional or use chocolate chip)

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375 & line muffin tins with liners.
Chop off the ends of the zucchini & finely shred, including the peel. Place the shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel, wrap it up (like a candy wrapper) & wring out all of the excess liquid. You should get anywhere from 1 - 1 1/2 cups- set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda & all the spices. In a smaller bowl whisk together the sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice & melted butter until combined.

Fold the yogurt mixture & zucchini into the flour mixture until just combined. Gently stir in the cinnamon chips (you can even use nuts or chocolate chips or craisins or raisins- mix it up) & spoon into the muffin cups.

Bake until golden brown, 15-20 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.

Cool on a wire rack or eat them warm....with butter.