Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies

I have a lot of zucchini and I was trying to figure out what I could do with besides make zucchini bread or bake them like Jamie's Onion Rings.  I did a Google search and came across this recipe on When Harry Met Salad.  Step 2 had you drain your zucchini and I couldn't believe the moisture that came off, I got a 1/2 cup from 1 cup of zucchini.  I do have to admit that I did not press the zucchini between paper towels, I just took a spoon and pushed the zucchini against my strainer.

½ lb. zucchini
¾ c.  lightly packed dark brown sugar
2½ c. old fashioned oats
2/3 c. + 2 T. sugar
1¼ c. flour
¾ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. nutmeg
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 egg
2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1) Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly butter two cookie sheets.

2) Grate the zucchini using a food processor or box grater to yield 1 c. grated zucchini.   Toss the zucchini with 2 T. of sugar, transfer to the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer and set it over a bowl to drain for at least 30 minutes.  This draws moisture out of the zucchini and prevents the cookies from becoming cakey and slimy, so don’t skip this step.

3) Meanwhile, place the brown sugar, 2/3 c. sugar and ½ c. oatmeal in the bowl of a food processor and process for 2 -3 minutes until the oatmeal is finely ground.  (you could also do this in a blender)

4) In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

5) In the bowl of your food processor (or of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), process or mix the butter until it’s light and fluffy.  Add the oatmeal-sugar mixture in three stages, mixing well after each addition.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.  Add the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing just until blended.  If you’ve done all this in the food processor, transfer the batter to a large bowl and stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, otherwise just stir the chips and nuts into your mixing bowl.

6) After the zucchini has drained, squeeze it between several layers of paper towels or cheesecloth or a dishtowel to absorb excess moisture.  You want to remove as much moisture as possible, so you’ll have to work at it a bit.  Fold the shredded zucchini into the cookie batter.

7) Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about an inch or two apart.  They’re not going to spread much so they don’t need a whole lot of room.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.  Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I was given the cookbook Chocolate Never Faileth which included this recipe.  It hides the zucchini really well so you can fool your kids and tastes good too!  If you look at the picture closely you will notice that it looks really dry around the edges.  The recipe says to bake about an hour, I would recommend checking at 45 minutes.

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated and drained (see note)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup cocoa
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat two 8-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs and mix well.  Mix in sour cream, vanilla and zucchini.  Add all the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips in the order listed; mix well.  Add chocolate chips and stir.  Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.  Bake for about an hour.  Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Note: if possible, grate the zucchini ahead of time and let it sit for a while so the moisture settles and drains it off.

Cupcakes For Two

I have been waiting for my mom to post this on the blog because she emailed it to me a while ago and I have to keep going to my email to get the recipe :)

This is a recipe for just 2 cupcakes! I recently bought a Cake Pop maker, and the two cupcakes makes one batch (12 cake pops). It's so handy! I tried to use a cake mix out of a box and it kept making cake pops, and cake pops, and more cake pops! Way too many! 

Anyway, there is a vanilla and a chocolate recipe. (I have only tried the vanilla)...here are the yummy recipes:

Well Jamie, I finally did it!  I have been waiting to try the recipes myself.  I made 4 cupcakes, 2 white and 2 chocolate.  I made a few changes to the chocolate recipe but I sure that the original recipe works fine.  I used the egg yoke in the chocolate cake, used butter like the vanilla recipe instead of oil and used chocolate milk because I had it in the house.  Luckily I didn't need very much chocolate milk since it is Christopher's favorite.

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup flour

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (May take more like 15 minutes)

Chocolate Cupcakes for Two

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons of chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 2 liners. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Set aside. In a bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in extract and oil and stir until mixed. Add in melted chocolate. Scrap into bowl with spatula since the amount isn't much. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally into liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20, or until cake is set.

Frosting for Two Cupcakes
2 tablespoons butter
Splash of vanilla
Splash of milk
Powdered sugar

Cream butter, vanilla and milk.  Add enough powdered sugar to make the frosting the consistence that you want.  Frost