Description
Delightfully spiced carrot cake cookies combining the classic flavors of carrot cake with the convenience of a cookie. These soft, moist cookies are packed with grated carrot, warm spices, crunchy pecans, and finished with a drizzle of white chocolate and charming fondant carrot decorations – perfect for a sweet snack or festive treat.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 125 g Butter (softened, unsalted)
- 200 g Light brown soft sugar
- 1 Orange (zest only)
- 1 Egg (large)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 85 g Carrot (grated)
Dry Ingredients
- 125 g Plain flour
- 125 g Wholemeal plain flour (or regular plain/all purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Add-ins and Topping
- 150 g Pecans (chopped finely)
- 75 g White chocolate (for drizzling)
- 12 Fondant carrots (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6 and line baking trays with baking paper to prepare for baking.
- Cream butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and light brown soft sugar together until the mixture turns fluffy and pale, about 3-5 minutes on medium speed.
- Add citrus and egg. Incorporate the zest of one orange, one large egg, and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture until fully combined.
- Combine dry ingredients and carrot. In a separate bowl, mix plain flour, wholemeal flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Add this dry mix and the grated carrot gradually to the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Fold in pecans. Add the finely chopped pecans to the dough and mix briefly to distribute evenly.
- Portion the dough. Divide the dough into equal portions, approximately 73 grams each, to ensure uniform cookie sizes.
- Shape and place dough balls. Roll each portion into a ball with your hands and arrange them on the prepared baking trays, leaving at least 2 inches between each to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
- Cool before decorating. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking trays for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle with white chocolate and decorate. Once completely cooled, melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the cookies. Add fondant carrots on top for a charming finish. Use a piping bag or a spoon for controlled drizzle.
- Set and store. Allow the white chocolate to set fully before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container and consume within 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- For even baking, use a kitchen scale to portion the dough uniformly.
- If you don’t have wholemeal flour, regular plain or all-purpose flour works fine.
- Fondant carrots are optional but add a decorative and thematic touch to the cookies.
- The cookies can be frozen before or after baking for up to 1 month; thaw completely before serving.
- To melt white chocolate, use gentle heat or a double boiler to avoid burning.
- Allow cookies to cool on the tray before moving to prevent breakage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western