Carrot Cookies from my Mom's Recipes Notebook

These are my last three days of my vacation in Italy and the weather is definitely not on my side. I went to the seaside with my mom for three days and we had some sun but but today it's pouring! And the forecast for the last two days of my visit is not more encouraging.

Suddenly, today I also realized that I haven't baked in three weeks. Three weeks!!!!! Can you believe it?? Put the two things together, rain + 3 weeks without baking, and what do you get?  Carrot cookies!

I chose this very simple and yummy recipe from my mom's recipes notebook because I really wanted to remain in the real spirit of Italian "prodotti da forno" (oven goods), which are without any doubt my favourite form of dessert. No heavy creams, no complicated batters, no ingredients lists that are longer than my wedding guest lists...Just an easy and quick recipe. It definitely brought some sun into our home.

Carrot Cookies

Ingredients

300 gr. boiled carrots
1 egg

150 gr all purpose flour

100 gr butter, melted

100 gr sugar

2 tsp baking powder

zest and  juice of half orange (or lemon)

80 gr nuts (optional)

a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees (180C) and prepare a baking pan with parchment paper.

Boil the carrots and smash them while still warm. Set aside and let them cool.

Sift together the flour, the baking powder and the salt and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and the sugar until you obtaing a cream. Next, incorporate the egg. Slowly incorporate the mix of flour, baking powder and salt. Finally, add the orange zest, the juice, the carrots and the nuts.

Spoon the batter onto the baking pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Yields about 20 super soft, moist, yummy cookies....do you want one?