Carrot-Cake Cookies

Before being filled, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. The filling can be made ahead and chilled for up to five days.

Prep: 30 minutes / Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 2 ounces car cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed, finely grated, peeled carrots
• 1/3 cup dried currents

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Make filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat until combined. Cover; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Mix in oats, carrots, and currents.
3. Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake until edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
4. Turn half the cookies over, bottom side up; dollop each with about 1 teaspoon chilled cream-cheese filling. Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to edges. Serve immediately.

Tropical Carrot Cake Squares

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

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• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 pound carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled, and grated in a food processor
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Frosting:

• (can be doubled to frost a double layer cake)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, but still cool
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Method:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle postition; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.
3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated sugar and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce soeed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
5. When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.
6. Frost cake as desired and cut into squares. Enjoy! and remember, carrots are good for you - to a certain degree.

Carrot Cake Sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup finely shredded or grated carrots, preferably organic
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup, divided
• 2 Tbsp light whipped cream cheese, (or neufchatel), at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 slices whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread
• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 Tbsp raisins

Directions:

1. Stir together the cream cheese and 1 tsp maple syrup in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the shredded carrots, remaining 1 tsp maple syrup, and spices.
3. Spread one slice of bread with the maple cream cheese. Top with the toasted walnuts and raisins. Spoon on the carrots and top with the remaining bread slice.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients - Cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of salt
• 3 oz butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries

Ingredients - Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 oz butter, at room temperature
• 11 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method - Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
2. Butter and flour a 9x2 inch cake pan and set aside.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix the grated carrots and with chopped walnuts, shredded coconuts and blueberries.
5. In a mixing bowl, beat butter until softened (2 minutes).
6. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
7. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until combined.
9. Stir in the carrot mixture and pour the batter in the prepared cake pan.
10. Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes. Invert and cool to room temperature.

Method - Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter until softened (2 minutes).
2. Add cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat (preferably with the whisk attachment) until smooth.
3. Apply frosting with an offset spatula.

Zucchini Cupcakes Recipe

18-24 Servings / Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Caramel Frosting:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat in eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
3. For frosting, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.
4. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 244 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.