Carrot - Pecan - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Get some eggs, get some butter...get started!

Time to to use up

some more CARROTS!!!

I took a pumpkin cookie recipe and 

converted the pumpkin to... CARROT!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
....
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
*15 oz. puree'd carrots (probably 2 cups raw carrot slices to begin with?).  I can't believe I actually WEIGHED this!
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
....
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (or chopped walnuts)

* If you want to save time and do NOT want to start out with RAW carrots, I'm sure you could open some canned carrots, drain and puree them.

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 360-degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  (The original recipe called for a 375-degree oven-- that's not okay with my oven!)

In a flour sifter, or a "screen sifter" like this,...

  

• Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Shake it through the sifter to remove any lumps.  Set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar together (until creamy) in a large mixer bowl.  Add puree'd carrots, eggs and vanilla extract.  Gradually, but thoroughly, mix in the flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoonsful of dough unto a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper.  Because they did NOT "spread out" during baking like I expected they would, I got away with baking 12 on a sheet!
• Bake for 15-20 minutes OR until edges are just lightly browned.  (My 360-degree oven needed about 19 minutes)  Cool on baking sheets for about 2 minutes before sliding parchment paper w/hot cookies onto table top to cool completely.  
• Eat as is, OR drizzle tops with the frosting/glaze of your choice.  My favorite to put on top is this....

BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING:

Heat ½ (or 1/3?) stick of butter in pan only until golden brown in color (stirring all the while)-- this does NOT take long.  Quickly add about two Tbsp. milk to quickly stop the browning, and then add some SIFTED powdered sugar till you have the amount and consistency of frosting you need. You do not want this to be thick!   It may be necessary to add tiny amounts of more milk to get a smooth texture.   I drizzle this over the bars.  (You have to drizzle this on the cookies quickly before it thickens-- that's why I just line up the baked cookies and go 'back and forth' over their tops.)

The original recipe for these cookies came from the web address at the bottom of this posting, but, I substituted puree'd carrots for the can of pumpkin and then drizzled my favorite "browned butter" frosting on them...
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/12833/pumpkin-spiced-and-iced-cookies/detail.aspx