Carrot Cake Cookies

Shortly after I subscribed to Lauren’s blog, Lauren’s Latest, last year this recipe showed up in my inbox. And I had to make it. Same day. I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make these cookies. I took the leftovers to work Monday morning and they didn’t even last an hour. Yes, I’ve been sitting on these pictures and this recipe for a year, waiting for Easter to roll back around so I could share it.

I made some changes based on my pantry and allergies. Instead of coconut oil I used butter, I omitted the pecans, and used brown sugar instead of molasses. I frosted the cookies with leftover cream cheese frosting from Busia’s Easter pound cake.

These cookies are amazing and would make for a perfect addition to any Easter basket. The Easter bunny might like a nibble, too.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C grated carrots
• cream cheese frosting (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars. When creamy add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients until combined.
4. Gently fold in the shredded carrot.
5. Spoon cookie batter onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden and slightly puffy in the center. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
6. When cookies are completely cool, frost with cream cheese icing if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Lauren at http://www.laurenslatest.com/carrot-cake-pecan-cookies-with-orange-cream-cheese-frosting/*