Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches: Spring is in the Air!

These cookies were created for and inspired by my sister for her Bridal Shower-- And they were  big hit!  Per her request, there are no nuts or raisins in these carrot cake sandwich cookies, but both of those ingredients could easily be added according to taste.  In-spite of have cream cheese based frosting, the cookies last a surprisingly long time in the fridge, and travel well :)  I held off on posting the recipe so that it would be just in time for Easter-- But pretty much any reason for these little, sweet, sandwiches of joy will do!

Ingredients:

Cookies:

2 1/2c all-purpose flour

3 tbs cinnamon

1tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2c unsalted butter, softened

2/3c packed light brown sugar

2/3c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1tbs vanilla extract

2c grated carrots

Frosting/Filling:

16oz cream cheese (2 bars)

1/2c honey

Makes: 3 doz. cookie sandwiches, (so 6 doz. cookies)

Serves: a small army of hungry ladies and gents!

These cookies have also been called Inside-out cookies.  The larger and flatter you want your cookie sandwiches, the more butter to flour you should add.  As this recipe tends to spread on the baking sheet, baking the cookies slightly longer will achieve the same thing to an extent.  Small, round cookies are recommend for the best tea-side cookie size!

Directions:

1) Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets, or as many as you have-- this is an assembly style recipe.

2) Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3) Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla before adding the graded carrots.

4) After you have mixed all of your "wet" ingdients, shift in the flour mixture.

5) Beat the cookie dough until the consitancy is smooth.

6)  Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake. remember these cookies tend to spread!

7) Bake the cookies at 375 degrees until cookies are lightly browned which should take about 17 minutes, depending on your oven.

8) Quickly transfer the cookies to cooling sheets.  (Kitchen hack: cut open brown paper bags to use as cookie cooling "sheets." Easy clean up too-- Just throw on the bag when you are done!)

Frosting/Filling:

9) Thoroughly blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth. (Or a blender if that's what you have...)

10) Chill the filling/frosting in the fridge while the cookies bake-- This will help when you spread the mix on the cookies later.  It will also help the the cookies are cooled before you assemble them.

11) Assemble the cookie sandwiches and store in an air tight container until ready to consume!

Cost:

Total $6.15           
Per cookie  $0.20