Brownies!!!! (and they're kinda good for ya)

When I was a kid, I actually really disliked brownies (and goldfish, graham crackers, animal cookies and peanut butter)-I know!
However, the reason I hated brownies was because they were always too dry- especially if you didn't eat them a nanosecond after they came out of the oven. This of course ensured maximum tongue and hand burning.
When I started cooking on my own, I added chocolate chips to my brownies and loved them.
This recipe is an adapted version of a totally bad for you recipe that throws in some zucchini. Now, eating zucchini seems rather silly to me when you're going to eat 3 cups of sugar and a pound of fat. So, I fixed the recipe and think they're quite delish (as do the unsuspecting people who've raved about them and not mentioned the zucchini!) The chocolate chips and frosting are both optional, but I recommend doing one or the other,

BATTER
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetnened applesauce
1 cup natural sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 FINELY cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semi-sweet choc chips

FROSTING
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 cup earth balance
1 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 cup rice milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch pan
Mix the applesauce, sugar and vanilla together. In a separate bowl, blend the flour, powder, soda and salt.
Add the wet into the dry ingredients, then add the zucchini and chocolate chips. (If the batter seems to dry, add a bit more apple sauce. This dough is thicker than most brownie batters). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

(IF DESIRED) While the brownies are baking, melt the cocoa powder and earth balance over the stove. In a bowl, blend the sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Stir in the melted chocolate and serve over cooled, but slightly warm brownies.