I remember finding this recipe and thinking what a great way to use up overgrown zucchini when they are really cheap and readily available in the summer.  I love the recipe so much, that I’m glad to purchase zucchini any time of year and make these cookies.  Although it is not technically a health food – any cookie that has zucchini as a main ingredient must be better for you than those that have no green vegetable in them!

This is very much a soft cake-like cookie.  I think they are equally good with a walnut pressed into the top – or with a dollup of cream cheese frosting on top.  With cinnamon and nutmeg and other warm spices, I think it tastes great with a cup of coffee.  I have been known to eat these for breakfast on occasion.

I prefer to purchase nutmeg whole and grate it with a microplane. The flavor and smell is diviine without being too strong.

beat in one egg at a time into the butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy.

The dough, as well as the finished cookies freezes beautifully.  So often, I will make a double batch of dough and freeze half to defrost weeks later with no mess and time saving prepartion. The smell that wafts through the house when they bake is worth saving the dough in the frozen state for a later bake.

For best results, mix dry ingredients together. A sifter will help accomplish thoroughly incorporated dry mixture too.

If your zucchini appears to be really watery, use a clean dish towel to wrap the zucchini into and squeeze excess water out.  The recipe does not call for this step, and the dough needs some moisture from the zucchini to keep the cake like consistency.  If you do see water in your bowl when you grate the zucchini, you can also lightly drain or pat dry with a paper towel to reduce the liquid before adding to the dough.

Light yellow and fluffy mixture with all of the eggs added in!

chilled dough is much easier to scoop and drop onto the cookie sheet.

Perfectly rounded dough balls are not necessary – they will spread during baking. Using a small melon baller/scoop is a great and less messy way to get the dough onto the sheet.

Zucchini Walnut Cookies

Prep time about 15 minutes

Cooking time 10-12 minutes

Yield - about 36 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Instructions

Heat oven to 375′.

Beat together butter and sugar in mixer on medium high speed until light yellow and fluffy.  Add egg, incorporating well.  Stir in Zucchini and walnuts just until blended.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves.  Add to wet ingredients until completely mixed.

Optimally, chill for 30-60 minutes – and up to 24 hours.

Prepare baking sheets with butter,  non-stick spray – or use siplat liners.

Drop rounded teasoons of dough onto baking sheets – about 2 inches apart.  They will spread.  Bake until golden brown 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2-4 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I like these just the way they are – but they can be topped with an additional half walnut for garnish before baking – or cooled and topped with a smear of cream cheese frosting.

Easy Cream Cheese frosting: 8 oz. cream cheese and butter at room temperature, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 tsp vanilla.  Place cream cheese and butter into a mixer bowl.  Beat them together until light and fluffy.  Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla.  Slowly beat into the butter/cream cheese mixture until creamy.  Yields about 2 cups.  Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.

Original recipe was found in The Chicago Tribune Good Eating Cookbook c. 2001