Recipe: Orange Carrot Cookies

It's Easter time. I love Easter. The new dress, probably a hat, white sandals with painted toenails peeping through. The joy of my children when they discover what the bunny left and hunt for eggs. And the promise that comes with remembering the real reason for celebrating this time of year -- Jesus is risen!
Of course, there's also the food. I used to think of ham for Easter, but the last few years, my husband has talked me into having lamb roast. Throw in some cheesy potatoes and peas. And something citrus-y for dessert. Mmmm. So, today, I'm sharing a cookie that just seems to fit this time of year better than any other (although I'd eat it any time you wanted to make it for me).
Orange-glazed carrot cookies. They may not sound that good, but let me tell you ... they're hard to resist. And since they're made with carrots, well, we can at least pretend they're not as bad for us as a normal cookie, right? The cookie itself is light and fluffy and soft, and not overly sweet. The glaze has that kick of orange that makes a mouth happy. I don't even know where this recipe originally came from, but it's a staple in our family. Are you intrigued? I'm sharing the recipe below (with our family tips), and I hope you love them as much as my kids and I do.

Orange Carrot Cookies

​2 cups sifted flour & 2 1/2 tsp baking powder sifted together.
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening and 1 cup sugar creamed together
Gradually add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup cooked mashed carrots to shortening mixture. Add dry ingredients and 1/2 cup nuts, if desired. Beat well. Drop by tsp on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes. Ice while warm.

Icing: 3 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp melted butter
4 tbsp orange juice
Grated zest of one orange

The original recipe did not include the nuts. If you use frozen orange juice (undiluted), you can leave out the orange zest.

I usually ice mine on the cooling rack with a cutting mat underneath to catch the drips. This icing is so good, you don't want to waste any!
I hope you love these as much as I do.