Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Look what we made at our last class! These Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies were actually a special request from one of my regular students and they really came out great. The grated carrot and raisins in the cookie makes them chewy and the baking powder in the recipe gives them a cake-like texture. Sandwiched with a sweet cream cheese frosting, the kids loved them.
I hope you try making them.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (2 medium) carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray.
3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Mix in carrots, nuts, raisins and flour mixture with a wooden spoon and beat until well combined.
6. Drop 1 heaped tablespoon batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch. Remember to switch position of sheets halfway through baking.
7. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
8. While cookies are baking, prepare frosting: With an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter and confectioners sugar in a small bowl until smooth.
9. Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.
   

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my students and their families who have signed up for my classes this year. I'm continually suprised how interested and enthusiastic the kids are. I love to teach them how much fun cooking is and parents are often suprised that their children are eating different foods, especially fruits and vegetables!

Kid's recipes do not have to be just Mac N'Cheese, chicken nuggets and P and B sandwiches. Take a look at all the recipes I have made with kids, you don't have to make separate meals at dinner time. Teach your kids to eat like grown ups and you'll save yourself a lot of work! Happy Holidays to you all and I hope to see you all again next year!