Chai-Spiced Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies w/Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 T Chai Spice Mix (recipe below)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar 
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar 
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (110-120 g) finely shredded carrots
2-1/2 cups (215 g) old fashioned rolled oats

Chai Spice Mix
1 T ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp ground allspice 
1 tsp ground cardamon 
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/2 tsp ground cloves 

Mix spices well to combine. Store in a spice jar or small mason jar. 

Cream Cheese Frosting
10 T (141 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups (280 g) powdered sugar
1 T whole milk

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, Chai Spice Mix, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until well combined, 1-2 minutes.

Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, beating on low for about 20 seconds. Gently fold in the shredded carrots.

Stir in the dry ingredients to the wet by hand until just combined. Add the oats, again until just combined.

Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours or up to overnight. Don’t skip this step; it gives the cookie a more defined flavor and texture.

Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

Scoop cookie dough to your size preference, (30 g – 40 g), but make them all the same size. Place them about 3″ apart on the baking sheet. Press evenly to the outside edges. While the cookies will spread while baking, you don’t want them higher in the center.

Bake the cookies at 375°F for 14-15 minutes (less if smaller) until golden brown around the edges. Leave them on the cookie sheet for ten minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Cool completely before adding the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream together butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined, 2-3 minutes. Add sifted powdered sugar a bit at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed.

Once all the sugar has been added, add in vanilla extract, 1 T milk and salt. Beat on high until the buttercream is fully incorporated and desired consistency. If the buttercream is too thick, add an additional 1-2 T milk, beating until well incorporated.

Using a small offset icing knife, spoon or piping bag with piping tip of choice, apply the desired amount of frosting to the bottom of one cookie. Apply the bottom of another cookie to the frosted side of the first cookie. Gently press together. Enjoy!

Storage:
Once the cookies are frosted, store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Adapted from a recipe from olivesnthyme.com