Carrot Cake Cookies

By srumbel

This is so easy to make. Once you add the oil, flour and eggs you have the basic recipe. The beauty of this is you can make it work for you. If you don’t like coconut, just leave it out! If you don’t like pineapples or walnuts, don’t add them! It is very easy to make it the way you like it.
I added all of these ingredients to my cookies. They were delicious and my house smelled wonderful!! I had to work hard to keep my family from eating them before I could take a few pictures.

Ingredients

• 1 Box of Carrot Cake Mix
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup coconuts
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapples, drained
• (Insert Carrot Cake Cookies 3)
• Cream Cheese Icing
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 ( 2 oz.) stick butter, room temperature
• 1 box powdered sugar (1 pound)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp heavy whipping cream

Preparation

Step 1

First, you need to mix the carrot cake mix, the oil, and the eggs.
Then, add the rest of the ingredients including the flour and mix.
Next, divide your dough into thirds and wrap in plastic warp. You need to place it in the refrigerator for about an hour. The dough is a little sticky at this point but I am going to show you a trick.
Once you dough is good and cold, unwrap it and save the plastic wrap. I roll the dough on plastic cutting boards from Wal-Mart. You can see how I do it here. They are great for rolling cookies.
Sprinkle the dough and the board lightly with flour. Then, place the plastic wrap on top of the dough and roll it out to 1/4″ thick.
Next, place the rolled dough into the freezer for at least an hour. You want it cold and firm so you can cut it into little carrots.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for about 12-14 minutes. All ovens are not created equal so you will need to keep an eye on them. Cool completely before you decorate them.
While the cookies cool, you can make the Cream Cheese Icing. It is my mothers recipe and you can find it here

Cream Cheese Icing
Mix the cream cheese and the butter together.
Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar and mix.
Next, mix in the heavy whipping cream.
Store in refrigerator

Next, you need to tint your orange and green icing. I used AmeriColor Gels.
Place the cream cheese icing into sandwich bags. Snip off a small piece of one corner and begin to decorate. I applied a little pressure while moving the bag in a zig zag motion.
Now, repeat the zig zag motion with the green icing. This time go in the opposite direction as the orange.
That is all there is to it! You now have super cute little carrot cookies to leave for Mr. Easter Bunny.