Lemon Zucchini Cookies

When you have extra zucchini from the garden that got away from you, make some of these.  They are soft, and cake-y in texture; not too sweet until you add the glaze.  Erin says they remind her of tea cookies or cakes.  And they are oh, so good.  I made up this recipe because of what I had in the fridge.  If you don't have yogurt you can substitute milk, or even buttermilk.

LorAnn's bakery emulsion is the secret ingredient (well, it used to be secret before I told you).  Have you used this before?  This emulsion has no alcohol so it doesn't lose it's flavor when exposed to heat.  It brings a burst of butter-y, vanilla flavor to the party.  It's a trade secret of commercial bakers; they use it to give cookies and cakes that buttery taste. You can also just substitute an equal amount of vanilla or even lemon extract for it.  Either would be a nice substitute.

The lemon zest gives the cookies a tart kick and the lemon juice icing brings the sweet factor up a notch.  Before you make another loaf of zucchini bread, try these.  I made a batch to see if they would work, and after tasting them, Erin wanted to know if I was making a second batch.  They really are that good. 

Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Cookies:
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ tsp. of kosher salt
6 ounces of butter (12 tab.), at room temperature
1 ½ cup of granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of shredded zucchini (do not squeeze it dry)
1 teaspoon of LorAnn’s Bakery Emulsion
½ cup of vanilla flavored yogurt
¼ cup of milk
(you may wish to substitute ¾ cup of buttermilk in place of the yogurt and milk)

For the glaze:
1 ½ cup of confectioner sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat the oven to 360º F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, zest, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the yogurt and the milk. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter briefly, until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, and beat well to mix. Add the bakery emulsion and beat briefly again. Mix in the zucchini until blended evenly. Alternately add the flour mixture and the liquid mixture at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Drop the dough by level tablespoons (I use a 3-ounce ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Bake for about 11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1minute; then transfer them to a wire rack.

This post is my entry for Recipe Swap Thursday.  Check out the link and see what everyone else has made this week.  And don't forget to enter the CSN Giveaway if you haven't already done so.  The deadline to enter is September 20th.