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Summer in December

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This weekend I took on Operation Holiday Cookies.

The amount of butter in my kitchen was at an all time high and my mixer found a new temporary home on the counter top.

I baked a handful of treats that my mom always had for the Holidays like oatmeal candy canes, spritz cookies and almond crescents.

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While in the middle of my baking marathon Adam poked his head into the kitchen.

“I know you are making things that your mom used to make, but those are not cookies,” he told me.

Um, have you seen the amount of sugar I have gone through? These definitely are not crackers….? I was confused and really curious why he thought this way.

“They aren’t circles. Cookies are circles,” he stated.

For those of you who might be new… Hi! Thanks for reading. And just so you know, Adam is my husband… Not a toddler. I thought it would be best to clear that up after this preschool observation.

Okay then…!

Cookies are circles. Only.

-Weirdo.-

Hmm.

Well, that ruled out my plans for gingerbread men or frosted sugar cookies in the shape of trees and bells.

So, instead, to appease my husband’s wishes for round cookies, I made one of his (and my) summertime favorites: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies.

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By the middle of the summer, we have zucchini’s covering every surface of the kitchen. We saute them, grill them, bake them. We have so many that I even make special trips to Indianapolis to pawn them off give them away to my friends.

But, even with all this, there are still tons of zucchini’s that come out of the garden everyday in the middle of the summer. To help make the most of our plentiful zucchini’s I like to freeze them either grated or sliced so that Adam and I can enjoy them throughout the winter months.

This cookie recipe calls for grated zucchini, either fresh or frozen. However, if frozen, be sure to squeeze out all the liquid.

Now, I know what you might be thinking… Zucchini in a cookie?!

It’s actually really good.

So good, that I think the flavors would make a really good ice cream too. Maybe I will play with that next…

The taste of the grated zucchini isn’t strong by any means and is complimented by the ground cinnamon. It’s also a fun way to sneak in vegetables in a picky kid’s diet.

Or husbands.

… And they are circles.

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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup (2 Sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  2. 1 cup granulated sugar
  3. 1 cup brown sugar
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  6. 2 cups all purpose flour
  7. 2 cups whole wheat flour
  8. 2 teaspoons baking soda
  9. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  10. 1 teaspoon salt
  11. 2 cups grated zucchini (about one large zucchini or two medium sized zucchini's)
  12. 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar, until combined and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time until combined and mix in vanilla.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low until they are just incorporated.
  6. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and mix until they are just incorporated.
  7. Scoop the cookies onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
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Egg Series Day 6: Health Benefits of Fresh Eggs and Among Friends Cookies

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So, yesterday I wrote about the physical and taste differences of fresh eggs versus commercial and if you’re still not convinced that fresh is better, let’s talk about the health differences.

There is a lot of evidence out there that shows that eggs from hens that range in a pasture are much better for you. In fact in 2007 a popular homesteading magazine, Mother Earth News, did a study on flocks of chickens across the nation and found that fresh eggs are much better than conventional eggs.

Fresh eggs have 1/3 less cholesterol, ¼ less saturated fat, two times more omega-3’s, and 2/3 more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E and seven (… SEVEN!) times more beta carotene than confined eggs.

With all the excellent nutrients I have been getting this week with my egg themed meals, I decided that I deserved some chocolate chip cookies. Not to mention, when it’s as cold and snowy as it has been all week, it’s hard not to bake something.

For Christmas my dad put a cookie mix in my stocking from a company that one of his old colleagues is a part of. The company is called Among Friends and they produce baking mixes that are verified Non-GMO, Whole Grain and Gluten Free.

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I had the pleasure of learning a little bit more about the company this afternoon.

The company was started by two girlfriends, Susie and Lizann, out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their mission was simple: They wanted a good product to feed their children.

They love baking and creating memories with their children through baking. They wanted to create an experience for their children with the aromas of freshly baked cookies as they hopped off the school bus after a long day at school.

… But, they knew that mom’s are busy and have long days too.

So, they made their mixes easy and clean. Containing no starches, no fillers, no gums, and no white flour and requiring moms (… and other consumer’s alike!) to simply add an egg, some butter, and a splash of vanilla extract.

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Among Friends boasts six mixes that pack all the aroma and flavors, but none of the other junk.

Nothing crazy in there...!

Nothing crazy in there…!

Using one of my backyard eggs, I made the Suzie Q’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are whole grain and were a perfect snack. And, even despite the whole grains, my dear manly man gobbled them up.

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I look forward to trying their other flavors like Phil’s Eat ‘Um Up Gluten free Cranberry Chocolate Chip (Umm… sounds like a party in a cookie!) and CJ’s Whole Grain Double Chocolate Chip (This has a hint of espresso… chocolate and coffee? Two of my favorite things!).

Check out their website: http://amongfriendsbakingmixes.com/ to see the other flavors and find the mixes in a store near you!