Week 17: Carrot Cake Cookies

This weekend was a bit gloomy, so carrot cake cookies sounded perfect.

These are probably better in cupcake form, but I wanted to try these in cookie form so they’re easier to eat.

Note: I baked these cookies with aluminum baking sheets with a parchment paper lining.

The carrot cake cookies took about 18 minutes in the oven to get a slight crisp on the bottom. For the softer cookie, I went with 14 minutes at 350°F

These cookies should be chilled overnight before you put the frosting on them. Once you apply the frosting, then you should refrigerate them again, and they’re amazing.

Ingredients:

COOKIE:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ³/₄ cup sugar
• ³/₄ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 ¹/₂ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¹/₂ teaspoon salt
• 4 medium (2 cups) carrots, grated
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

FROSTING:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¹/₂ cup butter softened
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/₂ teaspoon vanilla
• Green food color, if desired
• Orange food color, if desired

Instructions:

1. Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and brown sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
2. Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until well mixed.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Slowly add to mixer and beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
4. Stir in carrots and pecans.
5. Heat oven to 350°F
6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely.
7. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl; beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting.
8. Frost each cooled cookie with 2 teaspoons frosting. Divide reserved frosting in half. Tint one half green and one half orange. Spoon each tinted frosting into resealable plastic food bags; snip off corner of bags. Make carrot design on top of each cookie, if desired.

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