3/31/2014

I know it has been a while since I've talked with you and I have had so much going on this past few months. One of the main highlights was a surprise total knee replacement in January, now mind  I never wanted one and was not going to have one, well I had no real choose so I agreed to one then he told me I would have to have my other knee done as well in 6 months.  I have done well and am glad I had it done.

The reason I'm writing now is because I found a killer recipe I had to share.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins (see note above about soaking raisins)
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 FROSTING
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (important so you don’t have lumps in your frosting!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. Do not cut this step short! Add the egg and carvedilol cialis the vanilla and keep mixing to combine. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl before moving to next step.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Whisk to fully incorporate. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oats, coconut, raisins, carrots and walnuts. Place dough in the refrigerator for an hour to set.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough into evenly sized mounds and place a couple inches apart on the cookie sheets. I used a tablespoon to scoop it out and rolled it into balls by hand. They were probably about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set around the edges but still soft in the center. You may want to rotate your cookie sheets halfway through cooking or bake one sheet at a time to ensure even cooking. I usually go with one at a time. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

FROSTING

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Once incorporated, slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Keep mixing until light and fluffy.

Note: I had JUST enough icing with these ratios. If you want to really spread it on thick then I recommend doubling the frosting. 

Yield: about 24 cookies

2nd Cookie

Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 3/4 cup carrot cake mix

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans
 

Cream Cheese Frosting:
 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the flour, carrot cake mix, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl add the butter and brown sugar. Cream together for a couple of minutes with a mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula if needed.

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Add the nuts and mix until just incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Chill the dough completely for a couple of hours. This is essential so that the cookies do not spread too much.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2 Tablespoon size balls and place on the cookie sheet. You want your dough balls to be taller than wider. These cookies do spread a lot so make sure you have plenty of room between the cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just turning golden brown. The cookies may appear to not be done all the way but will set up on the pan. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix slowly at first until combined. Beat until fluffy.   Frost cookies.

 Notes

Source: Inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction Cake Batter Cookies

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