Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Zucchini Cookie

Chef David Marion(alton brown wannabe)'s Note:

I found a zucchini cookie recipe in the newspaper, made it for my wife and she ate three cookies before they had cooled. I decided to change some of the ingredients without changing her desire to eat them as fast as I can make them. This recipe has "it's a keeper" from all of my "taste test dummies" that have volunteered to try them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. P.s. my neighbors 3 year old son won't eat zucchini, but stuffs himself with these cookies.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 36

Yield: 36.0 cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (divided)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups zucchini (shredded)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Place 1 1/4 cups oatmeal in a food processor and grind until a fine powder. Add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pulse @ 10 times until well mixed. Store in a bowl and set aside.
2. Split a medium sized zucchini down the middle and run through the food processor shredder blade, until you have about 2 cups shredded zucchini.
3. In a medium sized bowl mash room temperature butter and cream cheese, with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 eggs, mix until smooth and creamy. Add flour - oatmeal mixture until fully incorporated. Add shredded zucchini, fully incorporate, then add 1 cup regular oatmeal and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips until fully mixed. Add additional 1/4 cup regular oatmeal to mixture if necessary to thicken mixture (if needed).
4. Place @ 1 tablespoon of cookie mixture on a cookie sheet, bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and delicous.