CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies is a great recipe idea for the Easter season. Fox 8’s Stefani Schaefer learns how to make this delicious sweet treat from Chef Maureen Leonard, Assistant Professor at Tri-C’s Hospitality Management Center. To learn more about Tri-C’s Hospitality Management program click here. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of Chef Maureen’s recipe for her easy hack.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour or pastry flour
• ½  teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• zest of one orange
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots (grate your own carrots!!!!~ packaged shredded carrots do not taste good and they are too dry)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• joice from ½ an orange

Instructions

Carrot Cake Cookies

• Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheight and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for a full 3 minutes, mixture will look fluffy.
• Add orange zest and mix for 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined. Add grated carrots and walnuts to dough and stir until evenly incorporated
• Chill mixture for 15 minutes
• Using a small cookie scoop (or a heaping tablespoon), spoon cookie dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Recipe should make 30 individual cookies total.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing slowly to combine. Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Pipe or spread frosting onto half of the cookies, then top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches.
• The whoopie pies can be frozen after fully made

HACK — You can use a Spice Cake box mix, 1 stick of butter, 3 eggs and 1shredded carrot for the Carrot Cake batter. Bake for 10 minutes.