Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies

  Desserts

Carrot cake is a family favorite, and these delicious cookies taste just like it with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and cloves. And they're topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Who could resist? Each cookie is like eating a piece of carrot cake, but with no fork needed!

Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies

Average Rating: 5

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
YIELD: 5 dozen.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup margarine, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

  • FROSTING:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Additional confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in carrots, walnuts and cranberries.
  • 2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the back of a 1/2-teaspoon measure.
  • 3. Bake until edges begin to brown, 10-12 minutes. Reshape indentations as needed. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
  • 4. For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until blended. To serve, fill each cookie with about 1-1/2 teaspoons frosting; sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftover filled cookies.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 167 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 146mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.

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