Carrot Cake Cookies

Place raisins in a small bowl and add enough hot water to cover them. Set aside for 5-10 minutes, then drain them thoroughly and pat dry.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, walnuts and raisins (drained!) on low speed. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Set dough in refrigerator to chill for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Working with one baking sheet at a time, drop 1 1/2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake each sheet separately, 13-15 minutes or until centers spring back to the touch. Cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, pulse cream cheese and butter in a food processor, scraping down sides with a spatula as needed, until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and pulse until combined.

If making ahead, store cookies at room temperature and frosting in refrigerator. Frost cookies before serving – just sandwich some frosting between two cookies. Makes 24 individual cookies, or 12 sandwich cookies.

(Recipe adapted from Gourmet.)