... Grandma Stucky's Carrot Cookies

Lessons Learned #42498485043243444489: When a family member (especially a very, very well loved Grandma) makes something that they're known for, eat it.  Eat it even if you're a kid and you can't possibly imagine that there's any way carrots and cookies go together.  If you don't, you'll regret it and all you'll have to go from is your interpretation of their recipe, never knowing if it actually tastes like theirs did.  But really hoping that you can at least get close... especially when it's for your dad's birthday.

You may think it's crazy, mixing carrots and cookies with really no resemblance to the more well-known carrot cake, but learn your lesson now my friends, don't knock it 'til ya try it.  

Grandma Stucky's Carrot Cookies
makes 4 dozen

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup cooked, mashed carrots or an 8 ounce jar of baby carrots
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix as written.  Drop by teaspoon on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes @ 350 degrees.  Cool.

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
grated orange peel (2 tablespoons or so)
add orange juice to make a thin glaze

Taylor's Notes:
Don't you love how simple this recipe is?  Here are your ingredients, mix them together, put them on a cookie sheet and bake them.  Piece of cake... or, um, cookie.  


Here's a secret... a little time-saver if you will.  The first (and only before now) time I made these, I used baby food.  Yes, I said it.  Baby food.  Mom and Dad couldn't quite remember what Grandma used and I'm guessing that's because these cookies just seemed to appear in the Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar... no one knowing how they were actually made.  I would bet that when this recipe was first written (by my Great Grandma, no less) that baby food literally was cooked, mashed carrots... straight from the garden.  If you ask me, I figure that the baby food makers are just taking care of that extra step or two for me. 


When you make the icing, add the orange juice a bit at a time until you get a good consistency.  I added about 3 1/2 tablespoons per cup of powdered sugar.  The icing should be thin enough to be drizzled onto the cookies, but not so thin that it just drips off.  I like to take one pass over the cookies with the icing and then come back a second time around to make sure the carrot cookie to orange icing ratio is just right.  Carrots, oranges, cookies... who'd have thought?!  


Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dad!  I love you!