Soft Carrot Cookies

Not too sweet. From the 1964 edition of Joy of Cooking, which describes them as "a sophisticatedly flavored soft tea cookie with an oil base," a description I found quite accurate (to my surprise - I'd never thought of anything involving carrots as particularly sophisticated). I used whole wheat pastry flour and canola oil. I did not add any fruit, and I added ginger to half the batch -- I liked them slightly better with it, but they were good without it too. I think these would also be good with nuts added, and if you do want them sweeter, you could make a glaze with confectioner's sugar, a little orange juice, and possibly a bit of butter or cream cheese. I like them as is. Cooking time includes cooking the carrots and zesting the oranges.

• Ready In: 42 mins
• Serves: 30

Ingredients

• 1  egg
• 1⁄3 cup  cooking oil
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2⁄3 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon  grated  orange rind
• 1⁄3 cup  cooked mashed carrot
• 1⁄2 teaspoon powdered ginger (optional)
• 2 -4  tablespoons white raisins or 2 -4  tablespoons candied citron peel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
3. Beat the egg.
4. Add sugar and oil and beat well.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Drop batter from a teaspoon, spacing generously, onto greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.