Well, that's part of the reason why I haven't been on here. It is very hard to have a blog to inspire people to bake and cook from scratch when I am also trying to inspire people to eat less sugar and live a healthy lifestyle. I'm stuck in the middle.
I'm hoping that those of you who follow me are at the same point and that I am inspiring you to stop buying processed foods and start making your own from home. I just can't shake eating sugar and sweets and at the times when I have completely given it up, the day I'm done, I just want to eat cookies. I find that when I bake, I am happy. When I find a delicious recipe from scratch that I love, I want to share it. I want to inspire you to get in the kitchen and cook- I hope that you will learn something new and bring it to the table for your family to enjoy.
I am spending more and more time in my kitchen these days, trying to use all fresh ingredients and making more and more on my own. I seem to make a dessert on the weekends and try to make it last through the week, unless I find a rare gem, like this, which it was made on Sunday for Easter, then again on Tuesday for dessert for the rest of the week.
OK, fine, then again a few weeks later, because after all, there are carrots in them, so they are kind of healthy... If you have a BBQ or party to go to this summer, I highly recommend bringing these. You they will not disappoint.
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter- room temp (important)
1 egg - room temperature (important)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup finely shredded or grated carrots
Filling:
3 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup ( half stick) unsalted butter- room temp
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup confectioners sugar
1) Preheat oven to 350'.
2) In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside
3) In bowl of mixer, beat butter for 2 min until creamy- add in brown sugar and beat again on medium until fluffy. Scrape down sides.
4) Add egg and vanilla, beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides.
5) Add in dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, scrape down sides of bowl. Add in oats and carrots, mix until incorporated. Scrape bowl, then mix one final time.
6) Drop 1 TBSP sized rounds of batter onto cookie sheet. Bake approx 11-14 minutes. Halfway through baking, rotate cookie sheet. Depending on your oven, the cooking time will vary. Smaller cookies will take about 11 min, whereas larger will take up to 14.
7) Remove cookies from oven and let cool. Set cookies onto baking rack to cool completely before filling.
8) Prepare filling: Beat cream cheese and butter in bowl of stand mixer for 8 minutes, will be light and fluffy- I promise, mix for the whole 8 minutes on medium-high. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat again for 8 more minutes, stopping halfway through to scrape sides once. Put filling into a bag and pipe onto a cookie, press another cookie on top to make a sandwich.
Makes approx 20 small whoopie pies.
Adapted from Annie's Eats.
