Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

For those who know me personally, you know that a great cookie is the key to my heart and stomach.  This is a great way to use some of the abundance of zucchini that the summer garden produces.  

This recipe is from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle's website. 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Makes about two dozen)

1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture

1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz chocolate chips

Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes.

Note:  Some of the links referenced in this post are my referral links.  You can read Saving Family Green's Material Connection Disclosure Policy here.

Zucchini Bread from the garden

With my garden almost in full production, I'm starting to think about what I'm going to make with all the tomatoes, cucumber and zucchini that my garden is rapidly getting ready to produce.  One of my favorite things to make with zucchini is zucchini bread or muffins.  These are great for right now and also freeze great for later.  I found this recipe on Whole Foods website.  It's a slight variation from my Aunt's recipe, but I think I will give it a try.  

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

Natural cooking spray
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I will most likely use 1 cup unbleached flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour instead.  My experience with using whole wheat flour exclusively has not been good thus far . . .any tips?)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 cup expeller pressed canola oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with natural cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts then transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until risen, deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes then remove bread from pan and continue cooling on rack. 

For muffins bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes depending on size.