School Snacks: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies from Martha Stewart

Each week I'm responsible for bringing baked goods to one of our classes. Everyone chipped in 10 bucks and for the 15, 18, however many week semester I feed my closest friends "after school" snacks while our brains are filled with expensive information & invaluable knowledge. 

This week's snack are Martha Stewart's Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies from the beloved Cookie book. The smell that these treats exude while baking in the oven should be outlawed! The scent of cinnamon, butter, & nutmeg crept around my apartment making my brain incapable of concentrating on anything else. The cakes are super moist and quite soft. One of my favorite things to do is match up cookies into pairs to make the sandwiches. I always feel like a match maker, "you two are destined for each other!" Far too much time on my hands, I know. 

Anyway, these cookies shouldn't even be cookies because they're in a league of their own. They're like cookie cakes? They're delicious. Try 'em kids. Enjoy!

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• Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies by Martha Stewart
• Ingredients: 
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)
• 1 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough. Once cooled completely, use an offset spatula to spread about 2 teaspoons of cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

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• Cream Cheese Filling Recipe by Martha Stewart
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.