When Downton Abbey premiered, people became obsessed with the old English lifestyle. There was a longing for that old feel, the prim and sophistication. It’s easy to get that through the tea party, a tradition that has bee around for many years. But why not turn up the volume a little? Instead of the traditional pomp and circumstance of an old English tea party, try hosting a hipper version with newer and more modern treats. Scones are the traditional tea party nibble but we wanted to go in a new direction. These cookies are moist, sweet and a little bit spicy. Perfect with a spot of tea.
Ingredients
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup own sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup finely grated carrots
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
For frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 to 4 Tbsp. heavy cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars and egg yolks. In another bowl, whisk together flour, ginger and salt. Add flour to the butter mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Mix in carrots, oats and walnuts until well-combined. Drop by the tablespoon onto the parchment paper and flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until just crisp. Remove to a baking sheet and cool completely before frosting.
To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until well-combined. Add the cream if needed to thin the icing out. It should be thin enough to spread on the cookies but not so thin that it runs off. Ice all the cookies with the frosting and let sit for 10 minutes so the frosting can set.
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.
--Kim Cooper--