Carrot Cookies with Orange cream frosting

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 egg

*1 c. Beech-Nut baby food carrots (about 2 1/2 4.25 oz. jars)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt 

*I used Beech-Nut Just Carrots.  This brand does not add water to the carrots.  If you can't find this brand, then try cooking fresh carrots and mashing them. 

Orange Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

grated zest of 1 orange 

1/2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1-3 Tbl. fresh orange juice

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the egg and then the carrots, vanilla and almond extract.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  When chilling time is over, drop spoonfuls of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 3/4 - 1 Tablespoon dough per cookie.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and cook completely.  Top with frosting.      

Orange Cream Cheese Icing:  Cream together butter, cream cheese, orange zest, vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Add remaining powdered sugar, adding orange juice as you go to reach desired creamy frosting consistency.

eatcakefordinner.net

Frozen fruit cream

4 Ingredient Ice Cream
Ingredients:
• 2 bananas, cut into 1-inch slices(frozen)
• ½ cup frozen strawberries, sliced
• 2 Tbsp Almond Milk
• ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
1. Place banana slices on a plate, separating each slice. Place slices in freezer for 2 hours (overnight is best!).
2. Remove strawberries and bananas from freezer and place in food processor, blend until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
3. Add almond milk(more or less for desired texture)and vanilla and blend until smooth and well-mixed.
4. Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and freeze until solid.(dont have to wait if fruit is frozen, it is like soft serve ice cream)
5. Scoop with ice cream scoop and serve.
You can really use any frozen fruit to make this

Key Lime Poundcake w Key Lime icing

•  4 sticks butter, that’s 1 pound, room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk, (I always keep a good number of those small, 5 ounce cans in my pantry.)
• 4 teaspoons key lime zest, minced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 300°.  Cover inside of 10 inch tube pan with non-stick spray.  My pan is 10  1/2″ and it’s just fine.  Set aside.
2. Using a stand-up mixer or electric hand-held, beat the butter well until light in color and fluffy.  Add the sugar and again beat well for at least 5 minutes.  I use a stand up mixer and beat the mixture 10-15 minutes.  I don’t like a “grainy” cake.
3. One at a time add the eggs and beat only until the yellow disappears.
4. Now mixing by hand, gradually flour to the butter-egg mixture alternating with the key lime juice and milk.  Begin and end with flour.  Beat well but just enough to incorporate all ingredients.  You don’t want a tough pound cake!
5. Pour evenly into the tube pan and tap pan on the counter to loosen any air bubbles.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
7. Cool on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes in the pan then transfer from pan to cooling rack and allow to cool another hour or until completely cool.

The cake is far better the following day or 2 days later.

Key Lime Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3-4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
• 2-3 teaspoons key lime zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Using a hand mixer beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until well mixed.
2. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat well until completely smooth and fluffy.
3. Add key lime juice, zest and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Ice cake.

This makes quite a bit of icing.  After icing the entire  pound cake I fill the middle hole with the excess icing.  When the cake is served icing can be taken from the middle and dolloped along the side the slice of cake.

http://theirreverentkitchen.com/2015/03/12/key-lime-poundcake-with-key-lime-cream-cheese-icing-omg/