Description
Grandma’s classic carrot cake cookies blend hearty spices with sweet, golden raisins for a nostalgic treat. Crumbly edges and tender centers make these cookies a perfect companion to afternoon tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (100 g) grated carrots
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (50 g) chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ½ cup (60 g) raisins (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats for seamless cookie release.
- Creaming Phase: Whip softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and transformed into a voluminous cream.
- Liquid Integration: Blend egg and vanilla extract thoroughly into the sugar-butter mixture, ensuring complete incorporation and smooth consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to create a fragrant, well-combined dry foundation.
- Dough Development: Delicately fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring minimally to preserve the dough’s tender structure and prevent toughening.
- Flavor Enrichment: Gently mix in grated carrots, chopped nuts, and raisins, distributing ingredients uniformly throughout the cookie dough.
- Portioning and Placement: Drop tablespoon-sized dough portions onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them to allow proper spreading and even baking.
- Baking and Completion: Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden and cookies appear set, then cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack for final cooling.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture gently to maintain a tender, soft cookie texture without developing tough gluten.
- Enhance Moisture: Grate carrots finely and pat dry to prevent excess liquid while keeping cookies deliciously moist and preventing soggy results.
- Control Spread: Chill dough for 30 minutes before baking to minimize cookie spreading and maintain a perfect round shape during baking.
- Customize Nutrition: Swap nuts with seeds for nut-free version or replace raisins with dried cranberries for alternative flavor profiles and dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg