Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream-Cheese Fillling

With its rich cream-cheese frosting and moist interior, what's not to love about carrot cake? Inspired by another heritage recipe, these carrot cake cookies are ultra delicious.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream-Cheese Filling

Makes about 30 sandwich cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pressing cookies
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• Cream-Cheese Filling (recipe follows)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined. 

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Add rolled oats, carrots and raisins on low speed; mix just until combined. Do not overmix. 

3. Chill the dough in the mixing bowl for approximately 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper and set aside. Place additional flour in a small bowl. 

4. Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop or your hands, form dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a small custard cup or glass in the flour and press down on the balls of dough, forming flat rounds. 

5. Bake cookies until brown and crisp, about 10 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from front to back in the oven to ensure even baking. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool; cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. 

6. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the Cream-Cheese Filling onto the bottom of a cookie. Place a second cookie on top of the filling to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Cream-Cheese Filling

Makes about 2 cups

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl; beat cream cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add butter and combine with the beaten cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla extract; stir until smooth, making sure no lumps of cream cheese or butter remain. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Heritage recipes are a part of the fabric of American cooking. If you're like I am and have a collection of old-fashioned recipes at home, I'm sure you'll likely find one for old-fashioned peanut butter cookies. These cookies are ones that will transport you back to childhood when your mother or grandmother baked these cookies with the distinctive fork marks on the top.

Here are a few interesting facts about peanuts and peanut butter. Did you know that Americans consume enough peanut butter in one year to make about 1 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? In fact, the average American child will purportedly eat 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches by the time he or she graduates from high school.

Runner peanuts are the best for making peanut butter; these peanuts are grown in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Despite their name, peanuts are actually not nuts; they're legumes and provide an excellent source of protein in one's diet.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 4 Dozen

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until combined. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Dip the tines of a fork into a bowl of flour, and press balls of dough flat, using the tines of a fork to mark the tops in a crisscross pattern. 

5. Bake until golden brown about 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in an airtight container.