Thursday, June 2, 2011

Cookies Momma, Please?

First grade is having their end-of-the-year celebration tomorrow. All of the summer birthday kids get to bring treats, they're going to don their swimming suits, and have a fun outdoor party for the whole afternoon.

Since my girl celebrates her birthday right before school starts every year, she gets to bring a treat tomorrow. She wants jello and chocolate. We compromised. I'm baking cookies (or did this afternoon). This is my green girl. I had green food cravings when I was pregnant with her. Her favorite snack as a tot was peas. She requests healthy snacks 9 times out of 10 (unless it's gum).

Last school year, she had a teacher who was majorly into health and fitness. So I set out to find all of the healthy cookie recipes that I could find. Kids love cookies. I love the teacher. Therefore I sugar snacks would not be coming from my house to school. The kids in her class all rated the cookies and let me knows which ones they liked best each day.

This is where I found the Mother Knows Best Carrot Cookies. My girls did not love them when I first made them. They barely liked them. The kids in school loved them. All the grown ups that tried them loved them. So I am continually amused when she asks me to bake these cookies for her.  These are what she settled on for her birthday treat tomorrow.

And for all of you who would like to try a cookie....
And my pics snuck in for the fun of it.

Mother-Knows-Best Carrot Cookies


48 cookies Bake: 10 minutes per batch
Prep: 25 minutes

Ingredients
·         2  cups chopped carrots
·         1  cup shortening
·         1  cup sugar
·         1  egg
·         2  cups all-purpose flour
·         2  teaspoons baking powder
·         1/2  teaspoon salt
·           Orange Frosting (see recipe below)
·           Finely shredded orange peel (optional)
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, cook carrots, covered, in boiling water for 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Transfer to a bowl and mash (you should have about 1 cup).

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar until fluffy. Beat in mashed carrots and egg. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually beat into carrot mixture.




3. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer the warm cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.



4. Prepare Orange Frosting and spread over cookies. Sprinkle with finely shredded orange peel, if you like. Serve within 2 days or cover and freeze for longer storage. Makes 48 cookies.
Orange Frosting: In a large bowl, beat 6 tablespoons softened butter and 2 cups sifted powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in 1-1/2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Gradually beat in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons more orange juice until frosting is spreadable.


 I do not use the frosting for 2 reasons. First reason is that kids don't need everything they eat to be covered in frosting or dipped in something. Second, I walk to school everyday. Carrying 20 frosted cookies to school is not happening. If I can't put the snack in a box or a bag that could be dropped in an emergency, it's not coming with me.

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