Small Kitchen College » Sweet Dreamin’: Zucchini Citrus Cookies

Sweet Dreamin’: Zucchini Citrus Cookies

I think the recent heat waves have gone to my head. Normally when the temperatures creep into the nineties-as they often have this summer-I get the urge to eat crisp fruits, popsicles, and water. Pretty much nothing else. But during the recent bouts of sweltering weather all I want to do is bake. Quick breads, cakes, bread-you name it, I wanted to bake it. If I had a bit more sense in me, I’d experiment with my ice cream maker and churn out creamy concoctions. But making ice cream can require slaving over a stove and then waiting for hours as the custard base chills. I wanted more instant gratification. I wanted cookies.

So when the temperatures cooled down to reasonable levels, I broke out the flour and sugar to whip up some of these zucchini lime cookies. Inspired by my desire to both bake and eat vegetables, these little cookies are light and fresh. Strands of green zucchini and bright zest add vibrant color to the yellow cake-like cookies. Their fluffy texture makes them perfect for a breakfast treat, afternoon pick-me up, or straight up dessert. And on the plus side, they bake quickly so the oven’s only on for 15 minutes!

Juliana Barton is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia who avoided the dining hall by playing lunch lady in her own kitchen. She’s hoping this weekend’s heat advisory is a joke so she can make cherry pie in Nora Ephron’s honor. Read more…

**Recipe**

Zucchini Citrus Cookies
Makes about 24
Slightly adapted from Food52

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
¾ cup butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh citrus zest (lemon, grapefruit, lime, orange-anything goes!)
1 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a medium bowl, combine flours with salt and baking powder. Make sure all are well incorporated so you don’t end up with a salty bite.

In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer (hand or stand) until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add egg to sugar-butter, and mix until well incorporated. Then add zest and zucchini and combined until thoroughly mixed.

With the mixer set on a low speed, gently and slowly add the flour to the wet ingredients until well incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or you’ll end up with tough cookies!

Spoon heaping tablespoons of the batter onto a lined baking sheet. Space about 1 inch apart, as the cookies do spread. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges begin to get brown.