Zucchini and Jalapeno Cookies with Sweet Lime Glaze

I hear people say all the time that they don’t like to bake because there are too many rules and they can’t be as creative. It is my goal to dispel this myth. While baking rules are a necessity, once you learn them it is so easy to get creative with recipes and create your own flavor profiles.

A favorite cookie in my family is a Carrot Cookie with Orange Glaze. We have these around the holidays and they are to die for. I like to make base recipes for certain kinds of cookies and change the flavors.

Today I made Zucchini and Jalapeno Cookies with a Lime Glaze using the same carrot cookie base recipe. The flavors are so unique and delicious!

But if this sounds too weird for you, that’s ok! Get creative and use my base recipe to make it your own!

You could flavor this cookie with bananas, grated apple, pumpkin, or whatever other fruit or vegetable you want to play around with!

You could also use this easy glaze recipe to make various flavors. Orange, lemon, apple cider, pineapple… whatever your little heart desires!

I got a request from a reader to do step by step pictures of my recipes. I can’t promise that I will always be able to do this (I usually bake at night and then take pictures of the finished product in the day light) but I wanted to give it a go today!

“Cookies Are The New Cupcake” installment #5: Zucchini and Jalapeno Cookies with Lime Glaze!

Scroll down the bottom for the recipe!

Grate the zucchini using a box grater.

If you have a fancy food processor with a grater attachment you can use that as well. But I don’t have that so I did it the old school way.

You need about a cup of grated zucchini.

Put grated zucchini in a strainer to drain any excess liquid while you prep the other ingredients.

Next, clean the jalapeno.

I have learned the hard way to wear gloves while doing this.

No matter how much I warn myself not to, I will inevitably rub my eye and even after washing my hands before it happens, it still hurts like hell.

Clean out the seeds and ribs. This is where the heat lies.

These cookies aren’t meant to have a lot of heat. Just a tiny kick and the flavor of the jalapeno.

Finely chop.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

To measure flour, use a spoon to fluff it up. Then spoon into measuring cups and level off.

I want to address kosher salt here. I have had several questions about kosher salt, why I use it, and if it is in fact kosher. Kosher salt does not necessarily refer to the Jewish certified kosher. Kosher salt is a coarse grain salt that has no additives. It is often used to cure meats to make them kosher which I assume is why it is called that.

I prefer kosher salt in baked goods because it does not dissolve like table salt does. You get little flecks of salt in each bite, which I prefer.

Beat softened butter for a few seconds until creamy.

Add the sugars and cream them with the butter.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix.

Remove the zest of the limes. Preferably with a microplane. I don’t have one, so I used a hand grater.

Add 1 tsp zest, and 1 tbsp of lime juice to the batter. Save the rest for the glaze.

Mix in the zucchini and jalapeno.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Use a small cookie scoop (about a tbsp size) and place 6 cookies on each cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.

Bake for 8-12 minutes.

Slide off the cookie sheet and allow to cool completely before adding the glaze.

For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lime zest and lime juice until desired consistency is reached.

Drizzle glaze over the cookies.

Fruit or Veggie Cookie Base Recipe

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup room temperature butter

1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup grated or mashed fruit or veggie (i.e. grated carrot, zucchini, apple, coconut or mashed banana, sweet potato, pumpkin…)

other spices, flavorings, and mix-ins as desired

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add veggies or fruit and other flavorings as desired, and mix. Slowly add dry ingredients with mixer on low and beat until incorporated. Scape down the bowl as needed. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool completely before drizzling with the glaze.

Glaze Base Recipe

2 cups powdered sugar

2-6 tbsp liquid (i.e. orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, apple juice or cider, cranberry juice, pineapple juice…)

1 tbsp zest, if applicable Start with 2 tbsp liquid and whisk it into the powdered sugar. Add 1/2 tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Glaze can be made very thick or thin as desired.