Zucchini season is upon us. In the next months, undoubtedly, zucchini will be pushed into my arms by neighbors nearly every time I step out the door. On my afternoon walk yesterday, I couldn't help laughing a little, aloud, as I passed several homes in a row with zucchini and yellow squash piled up on porch rocking chairs and in front of doors. Luckily, squash is a versatile vegetable--it can be used in soups, of course, and roasted, and blanched, and all that, but it can also be used in place of pasta, and it can be hidden in baked goods. The first and last thing I always do with summer's zucchini is make cookies.
This recipe comes from Barbara Kingsolver (one of my lady heroes, and an expert on getting rid of zucchini) via her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, (a book I talk about incessantly). Here, I'll post the chocolate chip version. It's a spicy, fluffy, bready cookie, but very moist, very good. Typically, I prefer my chocolate chip cookies crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle, but I still make these several times a summer, because I can trick myself into thinking they're healthy as I eat them (I'm eating vegetables!). Last weekend, I didn't have chocolate chips, but did have a container full of frozen strawberries, so I used those instead.
And a note on this zucchini, my first of the season: so fresh that juice beaded on its surface when I cut it, and after grating it, I had to wring it out with my hands over the sink like a sponge. How fun!
Ingredients:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey (or agave nectar)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
- 12 ounces chocolate chips of choice
Instructions:
- Combine eggs, butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Combine dry ingredients in separate, small bowl.
- Blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Stir zucchini and chocolate chips into bowl, mix well.
- Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
No, no pictures of the cookies. They're not incredibly photogenic, but awfully tasty.
