August 3, 2010

Carrot Cake Cookies

Photobucket
{printable recipe here}
I don't consider myself a picky eater but I might be, especially since I don't like carrot cake. Whenever I tell someone that, I get a very strange, glazed expression. Well, I don't love cake. I love frosting if that counts. And in my book the cream cheese frosting is the redeeming feature of the carrot cake. That said, these carrot cake cookies, this week's Tuesdays with Dorie treat chosen by Natalia, were lacking the most important part of the cake- the icing! They also contained my baking archenemy- coconut. I knew that had to go. Then, since I was so kind as to bake these in the middle of the hot afternoon at my mom's house while the AC ran away, I figured I should leave out the raisins, since she loves cooked raisins as much as I love sunblock, I mean coconut. After subbing in a little extra carrot, oatmeal, and craisins, the final result is actually really delicious. I think I'll sub in some wheat flour next time and no one will even notice. Yay!

I'll tell you the truth- I was kind of upset that I liked these. Not liking coconut has its perks. It's easy enough just to cross anything off my list that contains it. Cookies are tempting little devils and despite my convictions these wouldn't be worth eating, they were delicious enough that I have a slight stomach ache from ingesting all that frosting. I guess I might like carrot cake after all (though my tall man won't go that far- he was the first to say that my "gently frosted" cookies are about equal parts cookie and icing- but where's the crime in that?)

PhotobucketWhenever someone comes over and sees my beloved Silpats lining all my sheet pans, they ask what they are and why I use them. I guess I made a habit of it after I realized I would never have to grease my pans again (thanks, Kara, for the amazing gift!) Today I was to anxious to let the pans cool in between batches and so I tried using some air-bake cookie sheets to hurry things along. The cookies all came out flat and irregular, as opposed to the Silpat lined sheets that came out exactly as they were scooped. I defintely prefer the traditional half sheet pan (bonus if it comes with a lid, like this set!) and a nice, reusable Silpat. Let me know what you think (the pans and the liners are both part of the buy three get one free promotion on Amazon, so it was too much for me to resist!) I don't see myself going back to greasing my copious cookie sheets anytime soon.

Photobucket

Carrot Cake Cookies
from Anne Strawberry
adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan
{printable recipe here}

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (I always use dark but whatever you have on hand will work)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup shredded carrots (about 4 large carrots)
1/2 cup rolled oats (regular Quaker oatmeal)
1 cup craisins
3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugars for 2 minutes then add the egg, mix for one minute, and mix in the vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients in 2-3 batches, being careful not to over-beat. Stir in the add-ins with a spatula until barely combined. Scoop onto Silpat lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes (they should just barely be set, starting to take on color and a little firm when touched on top). Top with cream cheese icing.

22 comments:

  1. I don't like cake either. People can't get over that. I think its a texture thing bc I don't like most muffins either. But these little nibbles are adorable! And I agree, cream cheese frosting is the only redeaming feature of a cake. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The older I get the more I like! I used some yummy chopped dates--very good. I thought they were excellent. They will be even better with frosting.
    I also love silpat. I put them on my Pampered Chef stone and I get perfect cookies every time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know I'm going to have to make these cookies again just for the cream cheese icing! Such a good recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I thought I was the only one that didn't love carrot cake! Glad to know there are others. But I did love these cookies. I like that you frosted yours!! And I love my silpat too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. How interesting that the silpats produce a better looking cookie. I love my silpats.
    Your cookies look delicate and preet with their icing! I love the idea of adding oatmeal.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I had no idea that silpats would affect the cookie. My list is on Amazon, so will have to add one/two or more of these. Thanks.

    Cookies look great.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am not really a fan of carrot cake either but liked these as well. Nice comparison of the sheets with and without the silpat mats! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. they are so cute with the little kiss of frosting...i'd ingest too many, too! i would never grease a cookie sheet...that's what silpats and parchment are for!

    ReplyDelete
  9. WOW!! Your cookies look insanely good and the frosting was definitely the right call! Yum!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. John's grandpa loves carrot cake! I will have to make these for him sometime. And I love my silpat liner. I accidentally got the giant one with a gift certificate when we got married. I thought it was the smaller ones, but I love the big one for making rolls, kneading pizza dough, and rolling out pie crust.

    ReplyDelete
  11. sooooo cute!!!
    i could eat a handful!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ciao Anne !Thank you for joining me this week I love your silpat collection !!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Coconut is to Anne as onions are to Katrina and raisins are to your mom.

    These were not my favorite cookie, but surprisingly pretty good--especially since I, too, slathered copious amounts of cream cheese frosting on mine, too. I thought the ginger was too strong and would have rather had a little cinnamon with less ginger.

    And, finally, funny this--I ONLY use air bake sheets for all my cookies and never have problems with them being flat. (I ALWAYS line them with parchment paper.)
    Someone gave me a Silpat once and I didn't really like the results.
    To each his own--we're both fantastic bakers! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. they look great with the frosting. I like carrot cake but thought these cookies were so-so

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your dainty little cookies look gorgeous with that big dollop of frosting! I made mine as unhealthy as possible, but they sure were good!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yours are so cute with the frosting! I wish I would have gone that route.

    ReplyDelete
  17. You managed to get the perfect little peak on your cookies. How clever!

    I can relate to the whole carrot cake issue. So I was surprised at how much I loved these.

    ReplyDelete
  18. These look great! I love that the icing is as big as the cookie!

    ReplyDelete
  19. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh ANNE!
    YUMMA LUMMA !
    HUGS TO BABY BERRIES!
    XO AUNT QUEEN B

    ReplyDelete
  20. Those sound so yummy and I love the idea of craisins instead of raisins.

    ReplyDelete