iced carrot cake cookies

February 7, 2018 by Butter Loves Company

These chewy carrot cake cookies are filled with all the deliciousness and textures of a traditional carrot cake, including the cream cheese icing, just in easy portable form!

Have you ever felt like carrots are too often the sidekick, never really the star? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! They are the dedicated friend who set you up with your soul mate. They are the matchmakers for your soups, setting the flavors up alongside other “Robins” like celery and onion. They nestle next to braised meats and potatoes in a hearty roast or stew, give a nice crunch when shredded and mixed with greens for a salad, or add a subtle sweetness to a coleslaw. Isn’t about time carrots had their time to shine?

I was thrilled to celebrate fall with so many lovely bloggers a few months ago and we are excited to come together again to give carrots their due…here is our celebration of carrots!

When you think of carrot desserts, more likely than not, carrot cake comes to mind. It was probably carrot’s Oscar winning role at one time. It is hard not to love the combination of carrots, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and texturizing extras like pecans, raisins or pineapple.There are few carrot-related dishes that are more iconic than carrot cake. If for whatever reason to don’t love carrot cake as-is, the tides turn as soon as it is slathered with a smooth cream cheese frosting. Done deal.

I usually save making my favorite carrot cake for later in the spring, but for the celebration, I thought there was no better time to dip my toe into transforming one of my favorite spring desserts into a cookie. I made a few tweaks for this in order to keep a little more structure. Cookies made with moist ingredients like carrots or pumpkin are often very cakey. These definitely skew that way, but the addition of bread flour and oats give these cookies a more traditional chewy cookie feel. One thing that does not change, of course, is the cream cheese frosting. This time it is more of a drizzle, but you’ll have enough leftover to dip the cookies into. That wasn’t an accident. 😉

If you are feeling inspired by the carrot, definitely poke around some of the other bloggers recipes! The creativity is incredible!

Square Meal Round Table’s Rainbow Carrot and Ricotta Tart

The Cooking of Joy’s Candied Carrot Rose Tart

Better with Biscuits’ Carrot Souffle

This Healthy Table’s Beet and Carrot Galette

Always Eat Dessert’s Carrot Cake Squares with Orange Glaze

Figs & Flour’s Thai Peanut Pizza

Fufu’s Kitchen’s Oven Baked Carrot Fries Drizzled with a Tahini Sauce

Flours in Your Hair’s Carrot Pecan Cookies

Hola Jalapeño’s Roasted Carrots with Chipotle-Honey Butter

Worthy Pause’s Paleo Thai Curry Carrot Soup

Something New for Dinner’s Minted Sous Vide Carrots with Balsamic Vinegar and Goat Cheese

What Great Grandma Ate’s Paleo Carrot Mug Cake

More Icing Than Cake’s Spiced Quinoa & Roasted Carrot Salad

Hot Dishing It Out’s Vegan Carrot Whoopie Pies

Katie Bird Bakes’ Carrot Cake Scones

Confetti Kitchen’s Harissa-Roasted Carrots with Lentils and Yogurt

Easy and Delish’s Carrot Spaghetti

Pie Girl Bakes’ Five Spice Carrot Bundt Cakes with Bourbon Cream Cheese Glaze

Smoothies and Sundaes’ Carrot Cake Sourdough

Zestful Kitchen’s Moroccan- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Food by Mars’ Paleo Carrot Walnut Loaf Cake

Cosette’s Kitchen’s Sumac Carrot and Feta Salad

Measuring Cups Optionals’ Carrot Curry Soup

Rezel Kealoha’s Turkish Yogurt Carrot Dip

Pies and Prejudice’s Carrot Pie with Maple & Cardamom

Amanda Skrip’s Rainbow Roasted Carrots with Citrus Fennel + Arugula

Baking The Goods’ Roasted Carrot & Herby Feta Galette

Marianne Cooks’ Carrot and Zucchini Mini Muffins with a Cinnamon Frosting

Rumbly in My Tumbly’s Chai Carrot Pie

Cook Til Delicious’ Mini Carrot Cake

What Annie’s Eating’s Roasted Carrots with Herby Carrot Top Salsa Verde

It’s a Veg World After All’s Zesty Sunflower Carrot Spirals

Lady and Larder’s Carrot Crudite Board with Z’atar Hummus

Prickly Fresh’s Carrot Cake Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Suburban Pie and Treat’s Carrot Pineapple Raisin Pie

Hello Flour’s Macro-Friendly Carrot/Tomato Soup w/ Grilled Cheese

Le Petit Eats’ Carrot Cake Breakfast Bars w/ Maple Coconut Icing

Flotte Lotte’s Carrot Apple Pie

Smart in the Kitchen’s Curried Carrot Ginger Soup (Whole30)

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white carrot muffins

June 25, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

I’m fairly convinced New York City is home to about every food option you could ever hope for. 4:00 am waffles? No problem! Questionable street meat? You got it! Ten course tasting menu from a world-renowned chef? Well, it’s definitely there if you have a bulky wallet.

Even with no farm in sight, this past weekend we stumbled upon a market with some of the freshest produce I’ve seen outside of suburban nurseries. The Union Square market was chock full of some of the most vibrant, most reasonably priced fresh fruits, veggies, meats and eggs. One of the stands attracting a flock of photographers consisted of piles and piles of assorted, beautifully colored carrots: sunny yellow, deep purple swirled with orange and bright, bright white.

I started wondering how these multicolored carrots might work in baked goods that are generally rich with traditional carrots (e.g. carrot cake, carrot muffins, carrot soufflé). I knew that once we got back to Boston I had to find out the answer. Here is the result of my exploration.

In my opinion the white carrots have a softer flavor than the other varieties, but are perfectly delicate and sweet when kissed with a little spice. If you’re looking for a morning muffin that is ultra-light and fluffy, and not one bit too crumbly, you’ve found it. Of course, because the white carrots can be hard to come by, you can make these with orange carrots just as easily. I haven’t tried making them with the purple variety yet, but if you do, I am dying to know how they come out!

white carrot muffins
adapted from Dorie Greenspan in “Baking with Julia”

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: about 35–40 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 white granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded white or orange carrots (from about 3 medium)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

Place a rack in the center row of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Grease or line a 12 mold, standard size muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and both sugars until combined and free of lumps. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and combine.
In a large glass measuring cup, or a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
Pour this liquid mixture over the dry flour mixture. With a whisk, rubber spatula or spoon, gently but quickly stir ingredients to blend, being cautious not to over mix (better to have some lumps than to over mix in this case). Gently stir in the shredded carrots, coconut, cranberries and walnuts—if using. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 8 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F to cook an additional 8–10 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove and let muffin pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and let cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten on the day they are made. These last a few days but their texture becomes a bit more dense the longer you wait to eat them.

carrot ginger soup

January 8, 2014 by Butter Loves Company

I’m not sure what it is, but this week I have caught myself on the train daydreaming about sweets on more than one occasion. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if the people I ride the train with could hear my thoughts. Yesterday, the woman on my left would have heard a buttery biscuit stuffed with juicy, roasted strawberries and whipped cream; and this morning, the man on my right, a moist, nutty carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting and a fudgy chocolate brownie with salty caramel sauce. I’m not sure what it is, but I think maybe, just maybe, these ‘sweet thoughts’ are my brain’s attempt to resist all of the “New Year’s” diet advertising flooding TVs, magazines, and websites.

Because I too indulged a bit over the holidays, today I’m surrendering myself to the “New Year, new you” campaign with a light, easy, veggie focused dinner. I do love veggies and their ability to make you feel great.

I chose this Carrot Ginger Soup for a number of reasons:

I really like making soup because I think the leftovers are perfect to bring to work for lunch.
It has very few ingredients and requires only a couple of dishes and one pot, which is something those of us without dishwashers love.
Carrots have been long associated with eye health, and anyone around me knows that I have been obnoxiously complaining about my weakening vision. If I tell my boyfriend, Greg, one more time that I can’t see the score on the TV, the same TV I told him I couldn’t see the score on the night before, and the night before, and the night before, I fear even the best gentleman may change the locks on the door!

So, with that, I give you the Carrot Ginger Soup I’ll be enjoying the rest of the week. It’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but is a great addition to the weeknight rotation a few times a year and would also be excellent as a first course at a dinner party.

I promise I’ll also post something sweet this week to satisfy my cravings (and maybe yours!). If I don’t, I’m afraid next time I might daydream so long I miss my stop!

: Step 3

Step 4

Voilà!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Butter Loves Company

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper
Sour cream or Greek Yogurt, for serving (optional)
Scallions or chives, sliced thin, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, cover and cook over low heat until tender and lightly colored. About 25 minutes.
Add carrots, ginger and 4 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Either puree soup in batches with a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Blend until smooth. If using a blender, return the soup to the pot.
Add soy sauce and 1-2 additional cups chicken broth to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with sour cream and scallions or chives.