Carrot Cake Cookies

Let me recreate for you a conversation I had with Erica, one of my very closest friends, during our freshman year in college.

Me: Ooh, I love carrot cake!
Erica: You look like you'd love carrot cake.
Me: Why?
Erica: I don't know...
Me: Is it because I'm a redhead?
Erica: YES!

Whatever the reason, I do love carrot cake, and I couldn't wait to make these carrot cake cookies from Everyday Cooking for Two.  And I'm happy to report that they're everything I'd hoped they would be.  And more.  With cream cheese icing.

Now, I goofed on the icing.  I was trying to make it healthier.  (As if it matters--seriously.  It's cream cheese icing.  Who am I kidding?)  I tried using 2 1/2 tablespoons of applesauce instead of 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter, so the consistency is all wrong.  There are little lumps of powdered sugar that don't look appetizing.  

But if you could taste them, you wouldn't care.  

If I were really worried about making them healthier, I would have added the 1/3 cup of raisins that the recipe calls for, but I didn't have any at the house, so I didn't; you can.  Also, the original recipe says that baby carrots had less taste than regular carrots, so I used regular carrots.  It took me almost 3 carrots to reach 3/4 cup. 

You should make these as soon as you can.  The recipe made 21 cookies for me, but it depends on the size of the cookies.  These would be awesome for a holiday treat or for an everyday treat. 

Carrot Cake Cookies

Icing
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar

Cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350, and spray two cookie sheets with cooking spray.  Finely shred carrots and set aside.

Make the frosting first.  Cream together softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add the vanilla and lemon juice, and continue to mix.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Refrigerate until needed.

In a large mixing bowl combine the stick of melted butter with the brown sugar, white sugar, and egg yolk. Whisk or beat together.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Mix together well, and slowly combine with the butter/egg mixture.  Add the shredded carrot, the oats, and the raisins.  Mix well. 

Spoon onto cookie sheets in 1"-diameter dough balls.  Flatten them slightly with your fingers.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes; then rotate the pans, and bake for 8 more minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.  When cooled, frost with icing.