Q. Recently I had lunch at the Top of the Tower Restaurant at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Both the view and the food were exceptional. One item on the buffet was an incredible zucchini souffle. It had a sweetness to it that made it incomparable. Do you think you could ask the chef to share his recipe? — Susan Barbakoff, Coral Springs

A. When I called the Top of the Tower Restaurant at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton, 564-395-3000, I was put in touch with Taryn Jaramillo, the director of operations for the restaurant. She had the chef send me their recipe for Zucchini Souffle, which is one of restaurant’s popular luncheon buffet dishes.

After testing the recipe, I can understand why it is so popular. The sweetness Barbakoff refers to comes from confectioners’ sugar, which is one of the ingredients. Using vegetables as sweets dates back hundreds of years. This practice has resurfaced more and more frequently as cooks discover vegetables’ versatility. It also makes your mother’s admonition to “eat your vegetables” easier to obey.

Just in the past few years I have seen recipes for carrot souffles, cookies and cakes; green tomato fudge cakes; parsnip cakes; chocolate beet cakes; pumpkin drop cookies and pies; chickpea cookies; pinto bean pies; potato tarts; spinach tarts; and sweet potato pies, just to name a few.

Vegetables turn up in marmalades, jams, and even candies. As William Cullen, an 18th century Scottish physician, wrote, “Persons living entirely on vegetables are seldom of a plump and succulent habit.” Of course, he was describing vegetarian purists — not those of us who like our vegetables in desserts.

The Top of the Tower Zucchini Souffle is easy to make. There is no separating eggs, and once the zucchini is fully cooked, it is just a matter of whipping everything together. Served as a side dish at the restaurant, this souffle can easily be offered as a “healthy” dessert.

Although this is not a beautiful dish, a dusting with additional confectioners’ sugar mixed with a pinch of ground nutmeg gives the souffle a more “finished” look.

Apple cookie recipe at least 30 years old

Q. About 30 years ago, I received a small recipe box from a dear old lady in Oregon, with a few cards in it. One was for fresh apple cookies. For several years, while my son was young, I made these delicious soft cookies every fall. At some point, I stopped the tradition, and the recipe has gone missing. My son was home for Thanksgiving and said, “Ma, remember those apple cookies you used to make?” I remembered the cookies, but not the recipe. I recall the apples were diced fine so you got little chunks of apple in every bite. Hope you can locate this recipe; it was a good one. — Rose Nepa, Pompano Beach

A. I have a delicious Fresh Apple Cookies recipe, chock full of spices and raisins as well as chopped fresh apples. The recipe does go back more than 30 years to a neighbor (Louise Powers) in LaPorte, Ind., where we lived for a very brief time. Louise was a wonderful cook (and neighbor). Fresh Apple Cookies were just one of many recipes I asked her to share before we moved to Connecticut.

Two versions of Rum Sauce available

Q. I have been looking for a recipe for Rum Sauce, but after going through many, many cookbooks I have given up hope of ever finding one. You are my last hope. — Helen Baumgarten, Tamarac

A. I have two Rum Sauce recipes I like. One is a simple syruplike sauce to serve over baba cakes (babas au rhum) or savarin. The other is based on a vanilla sauce or soft custard, to be served either warm or cold over bread puddings, cakes, or baked apples, for instance. You will enjoy either one.

Have a cooking question? Need some nutrition advice? Trying to track down a long-lost recipe? Send your questions (be sure to include phone number) to You Asked For It, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.

SIDE DISH/DESSERT

TOP OF THE TOWER ZUCCHINI SOUFFLE

4 medium zucchini (about 11/2 pounds total), ends trimmed and zucchini coarsely chopped into about 1/2-inch pieces

Water

2 large eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

Pinch ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, cover zucchini with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until zucchini is very soft. Drain well and let cool 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 10-by-7-by-2-inch baking dish (11/2 quarts). Transfer cooled zucchini to a large deep mixing bowl. Add eggs, cream, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper and beat 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. (The mixture tends to spatter a bit because of the zucchini skins.)

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake in center of oven 35 to 40 minutes or until firm to the touch. Dust top with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar and nutmeg just before serving, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 236 calories, 4 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 27 grams carbohydrates, 121 milligrams cholesterol, 38 milligrams sodium, 1 gram total fiber, 50 percent calories from fat.

COOKIES

LOUISE’S FRESH APPLE COOKIES

THE VANILLA GLAZE IS OPTIONAL, BUT IT’S AWFULLY GOOD.

Apple Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups firm-packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup seedless raisins

11/4 cups peeled and fine-chopped fresh apples (we like Granny Smith)

Vanilla Glaze (optional):

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 tablespoons light cream

To make cookies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Transfer to a piece of wax paper.

In same bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg and beat well with a wooden spoon. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients, mixing well, then stir in walnuts, raisins and chopped apples. Mixture will be thick, but mix well.

Drop dough by tablespoons about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in center of oven 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

To make glaze: If using glaze, combine all ingredients to a spreading consistency. Spread glaze over tops of cookies while they are still warm. Makes about 48 cookies.

Per cookie (without Vanilla Glaze): 86 calories, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fat, 14 grams carbohydrates, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 73 milligrams sodium, .43 gram total fiber, 35 percent calories from fat.

Per serving (with Vanilla Glaze): 106 calories, 1 gram protein, 4 grams fat, 17 grams carbohydrates, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 82 milligrams sodium, .43 gram total fiber, 32 percent calories from fat.

SAUCE

SIMPLE SYRUP-LIKE RUM SAUCE

SPOON THIS SAUCE OVER THE TOPS OF SAVARIN RINGS, BABA CAKES OR OTHER BAKED DESSERTS. ALSO GOOD AS A LIGHT SAUCE OVER ICE CREAM.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup dark rum

Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil 10 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in rum. Makes about 11/4 cups.

Per (1-tablespoon) serving: 46 calories, no protein, no fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, no cholesterol, .12 milligram sodium, no fiber..

SAUCE

VANILLA CUSTARD RUM SAUCE

THIS SAUCE CAN BE MADE UP TO 2 WEEKS AHEAD, IF YOU WAIT TO ADD THE WHIPPED CREAM JUST BEFORE SERVING AND STORE IT TIGHTLY COVERED IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

1 cup milk

1 cup half-and-half or light cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

In top of a double boiler directly over a burner (not over water) set at medium-high heat, scald milk and cream with vanilla extract. Stir mixture constantly to keep it from sticking to the pan. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar and flour with an electric mixer on high until mixture is very light. Slowly add hot milk and cream, stirring briskly. Return mixture to the top of the double boiler and place over simmering water, being careful not to let bottom of the top touch the water. Cook, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard through a fine sieve and let it cool, stirring it from time to time to prevent a skin from forming. Stir in the rum and, just before using, fold in the whipped cream. Makes about 31/4 cups.

Per (1-tablespoon) serving: 29 calories, .64 gram protein, 2 grams fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 6 milligrams sodium, trace fiber, 54 percent calories from fat.