Recipe

Carrot cake cookies with orange-cream cheese icing

Recipe
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Photo by charitydinner

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Carrot Recipe
Chef
charitydinner's Notes: In the past month or so, I've gotten into attempting to make cookies out of other classic baking recipes. Recent creations have included a caramel apple spice cookie, blueberry muffin cookie...
In the past month or so, I've gotten into attempting to make cookies out of other classic baking recipes. Recent creations have included a caramel apple spice cookie, blueberry muffin cookie, and this one: carrot cake cookies with orange-cream cheese icing.
Boiled and mashed carrots meet the makings of a cookie, and join nuts, chocolate chips and raisins for a textured dessert that gives away at the first bite.

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Makes 2 dozen cookies

Carrot cake cookies:

1 cup shortening Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup white sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup light brown sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

1 egg Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup boiled and mashed carrots (about 6 or 7 medium-sized carrots) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon orange zest Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup chopped pecans Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup raisins Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips Ask a question about this ingredient

Orange cream cheese icing:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened Ask a question about this ingredient

4 tablespoons butter, softened Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon orange extract Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups powdered sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons heavy cream (more or less as needed) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient

Chop carrots and place in boiling water. Let the carrots cook until they're soft, then blend in a food processor.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening with the sugars until completely smooth and slightly fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract and orange zest and blend thoroughly. Add the mashed and processed carrots, blend until fully incorporated.
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In a different bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the shortening-carrot mixture, stir to combine.
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Fold in the pecans, raisins and chocolate chips. Using an ice cream scoop, turn mounds of cookie dough out onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
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Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, turn the pan, and bake for 7 more minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, press on them lightly with the top of a spatula. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
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In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk attachment on a mixer or immersion blender to combine the cream cheese, butter and extracts until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and as needed, the heavy cream. The icing should be smoother and slightly thinner than a traditional cream cheese frosting.
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Using a pastry bag or a handily re-purposed sandwich bag, pipe the icing as desired on the cooled cookies.
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