More Zucchini And A Great Cause

Every year my cousin puts together a great event called Suevivor Idol.  The Suevivor’s raises money for Breast Cancer Run for the Cure, held each year in October.  Shannon does an amazing job at raising money for this great cause.  She organizes a variety of fundraising events like car washes, golf tournaments, garage sales and Suevivor Idol.  Idol is basically a karaoke competition where friends and family get together to enjoy the music, have some beverages and share some food.  To find out more about this great cause and all of Shannon’s incredible work you can visit the website at www.teamsuevivor.ca

Last year I made my chocolate chip cookie and they seemed to go over well.  I thought another cookie would be in order and with all of my zucchini kicking around I figured I would incorporate some zucchini.  I love a good oatmeal cookie and the zucchini really helps to keep them nice and moist.  I made about 4 dozen and they were all gone.  I kept an eye on people taking them at the dessert table, most took one and ate it while standing at the table then grabbed another one to take back to their seat.  A SUCCESS! 

After my little brother ate a couple I told him that he was getting some healthy zucchini in the cookies.  He was surprised and said he still thought they were good.  So this is a good way to sneak in a little vegetable at the same time.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies

Ingredients

·         ½ lb. zucchini

·         ¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

·         2½ cup old fashioned oats

·         2/3 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

·         1¼ cup flour

·         ¾ tsp salt

·         ½ tsp baking soda

·         ¼ tsp nutmeg

·         1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

·         1 egg

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         2 cup chocolate chips

·         1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

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 cup grated zucchini. Toss the zucchini with 2 tbsp 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.      In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

4.      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 sugars and mix well, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and oatmeal, 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.

5.      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.

6.      Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about an inch or two apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the sheets for 1-2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

ENJOY!