Carrot Cake Cookies

I love the Fall...especially the desserts that involve cinnamony - goodness! I adore all yummy holiday cookie recipes! Here is one of my faves! It partially sweetened with honey and that gives the cookie it's soft gooeyness :)

I have included 2 recipe variations of cream cheese filling. The frosting made with honey is much healthier and not so sweet, which pairs well with this cookie because it is denser. The second variation is much sweeter and can be used on a bunch of other dessert such as cakes, cupcakes and bars.

Carrot Cake Cookies

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
110g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/3 cup raisins (optional)



Cream Cheese Filling Variation 1-
1 cup cream cheese
1 tbsp honey

Cream Cheese Filling Variation 2
½ cup cream cheese, softened
½ stick of butter, room temp
½ tsp of vanilla extract
2 ½ - 3 cups of confectioner sugar

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 180°C. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla in another bowl until pale and fluffy. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins; then add flour mixture to this and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total.

Cool cookies on sheets for 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between. Recipe makes about 24-30 individual cookies.

For variation - you can top each cookie with Cream cheese frosting and sprinkle shredded coconut over them! Yummmmerrrs!

Here is Kaitlin, the daughter of my friends Dave & Tricia, biting into one of these yummy cookies! :D