Autumn Chocolate Chip Cookies

These colorful autumn cookies were inspired by Trish, another amazing food blogger. You should click your way over and check out her stuff. She does cute artsy crafts too, which I must admit lack in this area with a 100% failure rate. 

Okay back to the cookies...I have to tell you about these moist, delightful cookies. They had surprisingly good flavor and texture. I have baked a little tiny bit with zucchini before, but never 3 veggies all at the same time, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was like a VERY happy accident. 

Confession #3,461: I heart cookie dough. Honestly I thought the veggies would make the dough more "healthy" than yummy but instead I found myself not being able to stop eating it as the different batches baked. Extremely delish! 

Ingredients
1/2 cup oat flour
1 cup all purpose unbleached white flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 stick of Unsalted butter softened (1/2 cup)
2 large carrots
1 zucchini
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (divided in half)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup chocolate chips


Directions

1. Lightly grease two cookie sheets ( I used butter)

2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

3. Use a food processor or hand grater to shred up 1 zucchini and 2 large carrots. I cut the outside of my zucchini off - personal preference)

4. Dump the zucchini and carrots into a clean dry towel and wring out the extra water over the sink that will come out of the veggies. The water that came out of my veggies was orange and turned the towel orange - my three year old loved this :)

5. Grab 3 bowls. In the first bowl mix 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup rolled oats, and the shredded veggies

6 In the largest bowl mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, vanilla, and eggs together. Scrape the sides as needed. Then add 1/4 cup pumpkin puree. Blend completely with your mixer. 

7. In the last bowl combine the flours, baking soda, salt and the spices. 

8. Slowly add the dry mixture to the largest bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined with a mixture. 

9. Hand stir the zucchini mixture to the large bowl next. I found by separating the pumpkin , some of it with the veggies and some of it with sugars and eggs, little bits of pumpkin stick closer to the carrots and don't blend into the background - gives the dough excellent pockets of color. 

10. Hand stir the chocolate chips into the dough 

11. Bake approx 2 inches apart  for approx 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes.

FYI: None of mine fell apart, but they felt more fragile than the choc.chip ones I usually make, hot out of the oven, so I let them firm up awhile. Worked out so good I ended up eating welll a few. But its okay right? I mean I was eating veggie cookies. 

12. While cookies are baking lick off the spatula or mixture attachment. No one is watching - have fun :) 

Happy cookie eating :) 
From my kitchen to yours!
-Stephanie