Carrot Cake Cookies

. Gingerbread Bagels.  Okay, probably not the first thing that would come to mind in a Carrot Cake Cookie post.  But there's some rational behind my thinking [sometimes].  I'm not talking about actual Gingerbread Bagels (but that would be interesting, huh?!).  No, not bagels.  Rather, I'm talking about one of my favorite all-time blogs, one I came across when I first entered the blogging world.  Not only do the pictures make me want to pick the goodies right from my screen, but this recipe alone proves the legitimacy of her creations.  Seriously, these are THAT good!

I bookmarked this recipe the millisecond I laid my eyes on it and it far surpassed all of my long awaited anticipation!  And I say 'long awaited' because, duh!, I had to wait until Easter "season" to start whipping out my carrot-filled goodies.  But anyway, these cookies are wonderfully spiced.  And when you bite into them, every once in a while you come across a plump golden raisin that makes the cookie ultra chewy and fills your mouth with a simple pop of sweetness.  Oh, and the cherry [not literally] on top?!  These cookies are "garnished" with a thick, rich, creamy cream cheese frosting that brings all of the elements together.  The original recipe actually made these lovelies into cookie sandwiches, but since I was planning on sharing (and I only came out with 24 cookies = 12 sandwiches), I opted to leave the cookies as singles.  But obviously, making them into sandwiches gives you two times the yumminess and I would NEVER argue that!

I'm doing my best to describe every last bite of these cookies to you, but I already know I'm not in any way close to doing them justice.  Guess you'll just have to make them to get what I'm truly talking about! .

Carrot Cake Cookies

from Gingerbread Bagels

Ingredients:

Cookie:

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. shredded carrots

1/2 c. golden raisins, chopped

1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice; set aside.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Add the egg and mix for another 2 minutes.

4.  Slowly add dry ingredients until almost combined.  Use a spatula or mixing spoon to fold the batter so that the flour is incorporated (be careful to not over mix).  Fold in carrots, coconut and raisins.

5.  Shape 1-1/2-inch balls of dough and place on sheet 2 inches apart.  Place the sheet in refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.  

6.  Bake 12 to 14 minutes.  Let cookies cool 1 to 2 minutes on sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

7.  For frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl (do not over mix).  Add in vanilla extract and blend.  Slowly add in powdered sugar with mixer on low speed.  Frost cookies as desired.

Yield: 24 cookies 

Study break snack for the taste tester boyfriend!

*My Notes:

• When making the dough balls, I shaped them into cylinders (seen in the above picture).  I picked up this particular technique during my stint at the Salty Tart, but for this particular batter which is quite soft, it didn't really matter.  Dang it...
• DO NOT forget to put the dough balls into the refrigerator before baking!!  This is an important step that Gingergread Bagels made sure to emphasize.  Doing so hardens this batter a bit, otherwise the cookies spread out way too thin while baking.
• Please take note of the Easy Accent Decorator I used to frost the cookies (also seen in above picture).  My cousin sent me this from Pampered Chef and even though this was my first time EVER using it, I will never frost a cookie without it again!  It was so, so easy and you can get some really cool designs out of it.