These cake-like cookies are filled with grated carrots, crunchy pecans and sweet cinnamon. They’re decadent topped with a cream cheese frosting –but just as delicious without the icing.

This recipe calls for bread flour, as opposed to all-purpose flour. The reason for this is that any cookie that incorporates fresh grated fruits or veggies, such as carrots, apples or zucchini, can sometimes spread too much while baking because of all the moisture in the fruit or veggies. Bread flour contains more gluten than all-purpose flour and creates a chewy, dense cookie that will not spread as much during baking. If you don’t have bread flour on hand, you can simply substitute with all-purpose flour, just be aware that your cookies will spread a little more while baking.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese icing:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup cream cheese. softened
• 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about two minutes.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until fully combined.
6. Stir in the grated carrots and pecans.
7. Use a small ice cream scoop to shape dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before frosting.
9. For the cream cheese icing: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. This should take about 10 minutes.
10. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat for an additional five minutes. Use an offset spatula to spread frosting on cooled cookies.

*Yield: 24 cookies