Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

My wife thinks this is one of the best things I have ever made and she may well be right . It is right up there with my Whole Wheat Buttermilk Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones.  An evil treat that I could almost live on. Plus all major food groups are included: Grains (flour and oats) Fruits (raisins) Vegetables (carrots) Dairy (cream cheese) and Meat (eggs count).  It must be good for you (NOT).


I had carrot cake for my birthday decided it would make an excellent cookie so off to Google again and I came up with a Martha Stewart recipe and a variation at  Eats Well With Others: Carrot Cake Cookies.  Really not much work and almost no skill is needed to pull this off. Give it a try for an everyday treat or that special occasion.

Rating:

Most of the time I must put some though into the rating. Not this time. If I only had a 6...

Notes:  I wanted some cinnamon instead of a large does of ginger. Other than that, I mostly stayed on task. The suggested cream cheese frosting ( which I loved) was about twice as much as needed. The recipe as posted reflects the 50% decrease. I did make them slightly bigger and do not make them into sandwiches like the recipes called for. I just frosted and ate.

Preheat oven on 350 convection. Prep two cookie sheets by covering with parchment paper. Finely shred one large or 2 smaller carrots to make 3/4 cup. Try not to use the "baby carrots", they have no taste.

Make the frosting first. 4 oz cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter (without salt preferred) in a bowl. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften if needed but do not melt.

Cream together with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 t vanilla and 1/2 t lemon juice. Continue to mix. Slowly add 1 1/4  cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Refrigerator until needed. Don't forget to lick the beaters.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter (again unsalted preferred) with 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg yoke. Whisk or beat together. I'm lazy and used a stand mixer but a hand held mixer or even an whisk should do.

Next in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. 3/4 cup AP flour, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 t salt. Mix together well and slowly combine with the butter/egg mixture.

Now add 3/4 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup  rolled oats and 1/3 cup raisins. Mix well.

Spoon onto the parchment covered cookie sheets into 1 inch diameter balls. It should make about 16. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers.

Place in the oven for 8 minutes. Rotate the pans (180 degrees and bottom pan to top). Cook another 7-8 minutes until edges are turning brown.

Remove from oven and let set for about 2 minutes until they firm up a bit and then move to a cooling rack.

Let cool and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Listed in  Everyday Mom's Meals Church Supper #23

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

by DrDan at 101 Cooking for Two October-16-2011

My wife thinks this is one of the best things I have ever made and she may well be right. An evil treat that I could almost live on. Really not much work and almost no skill is needed to pull this off. Give it a try for an everyday treat or that special occasion.

Ingredients

Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 1/2 T butter
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 t lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cup powder suger

Cookie Dough

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yoke
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

1) Preheat oven on 350 convection. Prep two cookie sheets by covering with parchment paper. Finely shred one large or 2 smaller carrots to make 3/4 cup. Try not to use the "baby carrots", they have no taste.2) Make the frosting first. 4 oz cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter (without salt preferred) in a bowl. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften if needed but do not melt.3) Cream together with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 1 t vanilla and 1/2 t lemon juice. Continue to mix. Slowly add 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Refrigerator until needed. Don't forget to lick the beaters.4) In a large mixing bowl combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter (again unsalted preferred) with 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg yoke. Whisk or beat together. I'm lazy and used a stand mixer but a hand held mixer or even an whisk should do.5) Next in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. 3/4 cup AP flour, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 t salt. Mix together well and slowly combine with the butter/egg mixture.6) Now add 3/4 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup rolled oats and 1/3 cup raisins. Mix well.7) Spoon onto the parchment covered cookie sheets into 1 inch diameter balls. It should make about 16. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers.8) Place in the oven for 8 minutes. Rotate the pans (180 degrees and bottom pan to top). Cook another 7-8 minutes until edges are turning brown.9) Remove from oven and let set for about 2 minutes until they firm up a bit and then move to a cooling rack.10) Let cool and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 16 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 16 cookies

Updated

October 16 2011

DrDan