Carrot Cake Shortbread

Ingredients

Shortbread

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup shredded carrot
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 30 walnut halves

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon shredded carrot

Instructions

Shortbread

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter, carrot and vanilla extract with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Transfer butter mixture to a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1 inch diameter log. Wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
3. When the oven is ready, toast the walnut halves for 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime, stir flour, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar in a large bowl.
5. Remove butter mixture from freezer and then add into flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter mixture into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs and cling together. Knead the dough until smooth and forms a ball.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2 inch fluted cookie cutter. You should be able to get about 60 pieces.
7. Press the walnut halves on 30 pieces of the cookies.
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn slightly brown.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in shredded carrot.
2. Spread the frosting on the bottom of the cookies without walnuts, top with remaining cookies, with walnut sides up.