Carrot Cake Cookies

Like my reto diner plates?

I found them at an antique store in Nashville many years ago & I love them dearly. If I could find more dishes just like it, I'd probably sell a kidney to get them if I had to. Grandmas china? Bah! Gimme good old fashioned pink & black diner plates & I'm happy.

Anyway, I'd been nosing around online for a good, yet fairly easy carrot cake cookie recipe, and I found this one at Gastonomy & it's wonderful!

I did modify it a bit since the recipe called for raisins. (see the oatmeal cookie recipe for my feelings on those nasty little buggers)

Also, I made the filling per the directions, but found it way too ... runny, yet lumpy? it was bizzare. I couldn't get it to the right consistency even with a pound of powdered sugar. And at that point it was just gross. So I skipped the filling. And that's just fine, because these cookies are so good, they can stand alone. I think the filling would be too distracting, anyway.

Carrots are eaten on a daily basis in our household. I swear my husband would be dead if it weren't for carrots. We probably all have that nice orange glow you get when you eat a lot of carrots. I don't care. So aside from the failed filling attempt, these came out fantastic!

You will need the following:

• 1 1/8 cups flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp allspice
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
  

In a small separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, spices and baking soda and set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the butter, both sugars, the egg and vanilla in a bowl until completely mixed. About 3 mins.

Add carrots and nuts at low speed. When that's completely mixed, add the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Keep the mixer speed on low to medium.

Drop large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet & bake at 375 for about 15 mins or until they're just golden brown.

This recipe makes about a dozen. But because these were supposed to be sandwich cookies, I made two batches. And even though I'd planned on taking some to work, 2 dozen cookies is a little much. Especially when you consider I had already made oatmeal & honey cookies this weekend too.

So I enlisted the aid of my taste testers. The neighborhood kids. 4 out of 5 liked them and I like them, so this ones a keeper too.