Carrot Cake Bird's Nest Cookies
Carrot cake cookies are spiced and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on this inside. They are filled with a creamy cream cheese frosting and topped with chocolate eggs.
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Servings: 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 1/3 c. flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 c. Dixie Crystals sugar
- 1/3 c. Dixie Crystals brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 c. finely grated carrots
- 1/4 c. toasted walnuts chopped
- 1 1/2 c. shredded sweetened coconut
For the filling:
- 2 oz. low fat cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 c. Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
- Chocolate eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the carrots and walnuts and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and then roll in the coconut. Arrange them one inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a teaspoon into the middle of each cookie.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking pans.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by beating the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until fluffy.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Place the filling in a zip top baggie and pipe into the center of each cookie. Top with 3 chocolate eggs.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine, January/February 2019.