Zany for Zucchini

I'll admit these next recipes I tried for the Great Zucchini Challenge are a bit on the zany side (thus the title) but are nevertheless good and worth baking again. The best thing about a challenge of course is pushing yourself to think outside the box. So bear with me here for these creatively crazy bakes...

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

Perhaps not the most beautiful cookie that ever there was, but like I said, still worth trying. I'd suggest baking these more time rather than less so that they get that lovely, crisp, florentine-like edge. These are a fun, little 2-bite cookie that are perfect for snarfing down while, for instance, supper is still cooking. And it doesn't seem sinful because they're packed with zucchini and oatmeal. Downright healthy, if you ask me. ;) Here's the recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Mock Apple Crisp

Now here's where we start to get pretty radical with the zucchini usage, but don't scoff and close out your browser just yet! When mom showed me this recipe for an "apple" crisp made with zucchini, I was extremely skeptical, just as I was for the Depression-era egg-less cake. Despite my doubts, one thing I do have confidence in is spices. Surely enough cinnamon can turn zucchini into apple :) You can season anything to taste like anything you want. (In the olden days, spices were useful in disguising the questionable flavor of food that was on the turn.)

Anyhow, I was really quite impressed with the results of this zucchini experiment. Aside from the spices, this recipe uses a fair deal of lemon juice. (Zucchini is mild and low-acid on its own, so it needs something to give it the "zip" that a tart apple would have.) Also, I think peeling the zucchini before you dice it up is advisable. One less dead giveaway as to its squash origins. Ha! The baked texture was convincing, and it even caramelized at the edges like your traditional apple crisp would. Now if you close your eyes and really concentrate, the merest hint of squash flavor is detectable. However, if you serve it with a generous scoop of New York Vanilla and a splash of brandy, no one will ever know.

Happy baking!

Thank you for stopping by,

Eva

P.S. If you remain unconvinced on the zucchini crisp idea, here's a more normal recipe for Rhubarb Apple crumble.