I put zucchini in a cookie...and I liked it. Better yet, no one knew! Let me first say, I don't think you should need to hide all things remotely healthful to get picky folks (kids, friends, spouses, whomever is picky in your life) to enjoy them. I do however like to use greens as a tool to lighten things up, add fiber, and cut down on unhealthy fats (especially in baking).
This cookie recipe can be made ultra healthful (so much so that only a select few would call it a cookie), or can be lightened up using ingredients you already have in your pantry. Most cookie recipes call for 11/2 - 2 cups of butter, 2 cups of sugar, and all white (or all purpose four). Typically if you are adjusting or "heathify-ing) a baked dish, you cant tweak with all three areas major areas (fats, sugars, and flours). If you do, it's often just not cookie-like. I happen to not mind at all as long as it's moderately sweet and there is a chocolate component. However, the toughest of cookie critics will agree that you need to pick something to change (e.g. cutting sugar) and leave the rest alone. After testing about 15 different combinations, I have found a way around this. I was able to tweak the flour, reduce the sugar by half, and cut back the "fats" component of this cookie so that I feel better giving it to the folks I love (in moderation of course).
I'm going to break this recipe down into basic "components" so that you can feel free to play with this yourselves. I will also post my exact version as well.
I hope you enjoy this sneaky, tasty treat.
Basic components:
3/4 cup or 12 TBS of your "fats" combo (e.g. butter and veg puree) see step 1 below
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract (the good stuff)
3/4 tsp. of almond extract
1 large egg and 1 large egg white
1 1/4 all purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour
1/2 of whole grain flour combo (see below)
1 cup of rolled oats
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of baking powder
pinch of salt (I used salted butter)
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip Cookie with Zuccini: (as pictured)
1. Prep the zucchini puree. Take of 2-3 strips of skin from one medium zucchini skin with a vegetable peeler (this will keep the cookies from going to green, or dark in color). Steam until soft (5 min or so). Place in blender and mix on high until ultra smooth with 1/3 cup of apple or pear sauce (no sugar added). Cool completely before using. You can also steam fresh, peeled apple and puree that with the zucchini; just use what you have.
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| Zucchini Puree |
3. Measure 1/2 cup of your whole grain flour mixture and add it to a medium bowl along with 1 1/4 all purpose flour, 1/2 of whole heat flour, 1 tsp. of baking soda, and 1 tsp. baking powder, and a small pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter, add in 1 tsp. of kosher sea salt). Mix together and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer (or in a bowl using a hand mixer), cream 7 Tbls. of butter (I like to use salted Irish butter, e.g. Kerrygold, for the flavor) in a mixing bowl. Then add in 5 Tbls. of the zucchini puree. Mixed until incorporated. **For a seasonal treat, it is fantastic to sub the zucchini/apple puree with pumpkin puree. No other changes are necessary; just swap 5 T. of pumpkin for the zucchini mixture. A hit of cinnamon is nice too.
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| Butter creamed with zucchini puree |
6. Add in one entire egg and one egg white, one at a time and mix on low until incorporated and a bit fluffy.
7. Add in the vanilla (1/4 tsp.) and almond extract (3/4 tsp.).
8. With the mixture going, slowly add in the flour mixture into the wet mixture until completely incorporated. Then add in 1 cup of rolled oats. Do not over-mix.
9. Last, add in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Use whatever you'd like. I most often use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
(Dairy, Nut & Soy free and less sugar).
Any dark chips will do, though.10. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, longer is better. This is the most important step of all. If you skip this, the cookies will not be the same. TRUST me.
11. Bake in the center rack at 325 degrees for 9-ish min (set the timer for 9 min and then check them). Do not pull them out until the tops are just starting to get a miss of gold. Then pull out of oven and leave on pan for 1-2 min before transferring to cooling rack.
A few tips and tricks I learned from trying out different iterations of this recipe:
1. Refrigeration is the most important part of this recipe. When playing with the quantities of fats and sugars, you loose that "cookie-like" texture that everyone loves and craves. The only way to get it back is by hardening those fats again.
2. When I know I will be making cookies, I make sure i've got my flour mixture prepped (step 2 above) and a zucchini mixture already in the icebox. I also make the dough the day prior and let it sit overnight in the fridge; this saves time and enhances flavor.
3. Always make sure anything you add into the mixture is cold or room temperature. Never warm (this included the zucchini mixture that you steam and then puree). It will melt the butter and dramatically change the texture.
4. Don't be afraid to take ownership of the recipe. Once you've made it a few times, you'll know what your ideal texture is for your (or your families) ideal cookie. I would recommend that everyone look at this if they are serious about cookies. It's the best thing ever.
5. I had fun playing around with different textures and sweeteners. Try using a flax egg (to veganize), or just whites to drop the calorie count. You can also try swapping coconut or avocado oil to get some heart heathy fats in (I did this...loved the flavor but the cookie snobs in my family could not handle the texture). I also loved a version where I dropped the sugars down dramatically by using only 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar and then one tablespoon of powdered stevia (this NuNaturals version is the best for baking). Just a warning, unless you have ample time and resources to devout to this "art of swapping," it's best to stick with one thing you want to change (i.e. fats, sugars, or flours) and go from there so you don't waist time and ingredients.
Enjoy!!
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