Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

How good are these cookies? So good that I've made them twice since I found this recipe ...

Again - this recipe comes from my abundance of zucchini. And although I had one person who refused to eat this cookie on principle (you know who you are ... ;-p), most people raved about how cake-like these cookies are. This is a definite keeper.


Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Recipezaar.com

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 small zucchini, grated (you want it to measure approximately 2 cups of grated zucchini)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (**I threw caution to the wind and ignored any constraints from my pocketbook and spent the $3.50 on a bag of Ghiardelli semi-sweet chips. I am now ruined from Hersheys, Nestles or any generic forever. DAMN ME!)
1 1/2-2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Cream your butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, add eggs and incorporate until fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the butter mixture, gradually; mix well. Stir in the zucchini. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls with two (2) inches between each cookie onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Let stand to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and place on wire racks to allow to cook completely.

A couple of notes - I omitted the walnuts, although I think that would elevate this recipe from awesome to droolworthy. (Alas, hubby does not like walnuts in baked goods ... it's one of his only flaws.) Another thing I found and fretted over was that before I put the zucchini in the recipe, my dough was really dry and crumbly. The zucchini is what really made this moist and delicious.

Also - the second time I made this recipe, I halved it (still a ton of cookies) and I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract because it baffled me to make a chocolate chip cookie without vanilla. I don't think it really added anything to it, so ... meh.