frosted zucchini spice cake cookies

I am a goal setter.  I don't like to fail.  Give me a goal and I will do everything I can to achieve that goal.  Since my entire family dislikes 90 percent ofa ll fresh fruits and vegetables I have placed a CSA box challenge upon myself.  

The goal consists of this:

1.) No fruit or veggie left behind.  Everything must be finished.

2.) One new fruit or vegetable preparation each cycle.

3.) Get the family to at least eat or taste one item in the box.  

Things were going really good this cycle.  Number 2 and 3 were checked off early on.  I checked the refrigerator Tuesday night to see what we had left.  There it was just one lone zucchini.  The zuke was taunting me.  I knew I could easily saute it and serve with the crab cakes that night but, no I could not make it easy on myself.  You give me one zucchini and I spit on the traditional saute.  I spend (aka waste) an hour of my life googling zucchini recipes.  There are so many uses for zucchinis and after seeing that I was actually sad I only had one zuke left.  I did not have a lot of needed ingredients on hand so, I went rouge.  I made up my own cookie because it is after labor day and I really wanted to start using pumpkin pie spice.  White pants gone and pumpkin pie spice in.  May be a good thing with my love of fall baking that white pants are away.  

These cookies are more like cakey (is that a word) then cookie.  They are soft and moist but, much more cake then cookie.  The zucchini balances well with the spices and then the thin layer of spicy frosting is just yum.  I had a back up desert for the kids because as I said they hate vegetables.  I put some green sprinkles on top to disguise the green flecks in the cookies.  Guess what ...  It worked.  The kids loved these.  Carter asked what kind of cookie it was.  I certainly could not tell him zucchini so, I turned the tables.  What kinda of cookie do you think it is?  He pondered and said "a yum yum cookie".  Done.  Yum yum it is.  Bring on the pumpkin, bring on the spice, the caramel, and the apples fall baking is on.

frosted zucchini spice cake cookies

source: sweetflours

1 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup vegetable oil (*could sub 1/2 unsweetened applesauce)
1 cup grated zucchini (~1 medium)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2  tsp baking soda
1/4  tsp baking powder
3/4  tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup flour

Frosting
2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grate zucchini.  Take a paper towel and blot the grated zucchini to remove some moisture.

Whisk egg until light and fluffy. Add oil, sugars, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well.

Make a well in the center of mixed dough.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix well.

Drop onto baking sheet lined with silpat. Bake for12 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Cool completely.

For the frosting cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar until the right consistency. Add pumpkin pie spice. Frost cookies.