Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

These carrot cake whoopie pies were my bake for last Saturday and I took them into work.

This has turned into a bit of a quest...... I saw Kim at (Lovin' The Oven) photo of her carrot cake whoopies during her "week of cookies" and just HAD to make them.

Actually - I've made them twice trying to get mine to look even vageuly like Kim's and trying desperately hard to get a cookie and not a cake.

The first time, I make the recipe exactly as Kim posted. However, I prepared the night in advance and refrigerated until morning before baking.

This is the first batch/ What resulted were little carrot cakes. Cakes. Not cookies. Pretty little cakes.... that made lovely little whoopie pies, sandwiched with cream cheese icing.

They looked ok, they tasted ok - but definately cakey and not cookie and the carrot (though aparent) looked naff in comparison to Kim's. Kim's looked absolutely delightful and cookie like. I adore the little wispy bits of baked carrot in her super photos.

So, I had another go and tweaked the recipe second time round

1 cup packed soft brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

250g salted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp of vanilla extract (homemade !)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1.1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1.1/2 cups grated carrots

You'll see I omitted the salt as I used salted butter. I added more cinnamon and reduced the oats. As oats are very absorbant, I thought my cookies might spread more without them.

Crema butter and sugar, add eggs and combine. Add other ingredients and combine (keeping the carrots and oats back until last)

Cooked at 170deg C for approx 10mins.

I've no idea how many I made this into - but it was rather a lot.

My second batch (pictured first) were really the best. Nearest to cookie like and filled with buttercream icing. The icing was a bit on the sweet side though and was a real sugar overload. The only ones that looked carrotty on top were ones I'd laid some grated carrot over before baking.

They tasted ok - still a bit cakey. Texture was not what I really wanted and neither was the colour. Totally edible ( a couple of people had two) - but I'd set my heart on cookies and got a sort of carrot cake instead.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE carrot cake - but I'd make it as muffins or cake any day over and above whoopies. If you want CARROT CAKE WHOOPIES - these won't let you down. I just couldn't get them cookie like or looking like the photos.

I still love Kim's photo and am in awe of her carrot cake whoopie pie cookies - so my quest will continue and I'll adapt another recipe in my search. I'm gutted !

Kim, thanks for sharing the recipe and photos - will you send me one of your carrot cake whoopies ?? lol