Is it carrot season? To be honest, there are carrots in my garden bed at most times of the year, November being no exception.
Growing Carrots
I have had various results in carrot wrangling. In my old back yard (in my first vegetable growing challenge) a newly created vegetable patch saw me battling virgin top soil and stubborn clay base. One was lacking nutrients and the other induced stunted root growth (not to mention arduous digging). Regardless a carrot crop eventuated to my delight and I proudly showed the world my wonderful harvest of mutant carrots.
In my new vegetable patch, blessed with fabulous soil and a years worth of love from the previous owner, Bob, I have struck it lucky in the soil department. Carrots love sandy soil, loose enough to burrow deep and allow their roots freedom to grow.
As the back of the seed packet will tell you, sowing seeds directly into the ground will necessitate thinning once propagated to avoid over-crowding.
Did anyone ever tell you that you need to know the rules before you break them? I don’t do things by halves. For me it’s the whole packet of carrot seeds in the soil at once, then thin them as young carrots, rather than young seedlings. Personally I don’t like the idea of wasting anything so the result is a constant supply of baby carrots early in the season works a treat. They are juicy and sweet and perfect raw after rubbing off the skin (perfect for a nibble platter with dip, or stir-fried whole).
This weekend I thinned and harvested some beauties. I was expecting more baby carrots, but no. Perhaps the recent hot days followed by downpours of rain has speed up a growth spurt. Instead of preparing for the evening meal I decided to stock up the biscuit tins and made these delicious morsels: Carrot Cake Cookies. They are a delicious chewy cookie, just the way I like it….and not a spoon of baking powder in sight!
Carrot Cake Cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 18-20 minutes
Makes: 20
Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup high grade flour
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup wholemeal oats
- 3/4 cup grated carrot, firmly packed
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C, fan forced.
- Soften butter and with an electric beater, whisk butter, sugars and yoke together. Set aside.
- In another bowl sift flour, ginger and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet, followed by the oats and carrot. Mix well. Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto two grease-proof lined trays. Allow some space between each cookie, although they won’t spread far.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
You could sandwich two together and fill with icing, but I loved them plain.
Tip: Unless you are planning on entering it into local A&P show as a prize pick, remember that carrots often lose their sweetness as they get bigger. These bigger carrots are perfect for this recipe; easy to grate and no waste.
