This basic recipe is all over the Internet. Spices vary. Some have raisins and/or nuts. Adding the icing and turning them into whoopie pies was my idea.
Yield:
32 small sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated asparagus
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse fresh asparagus. Cut off any tough ends. Hold the stalk of the asparagus at a 45-degree angle on an old-fashioned flat grater. Grate, turning the stalk. It will look like a pencil getting sharpened. Set aside.
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, cream 1 cup butter and sugar.
Stir in eggs, grated asparagus and 1 tablespoon vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture.
Stir in oats.
Scoop into 1 tablespoon balls and drop on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until light brown. Do not over-bake.
Cool on a rack. Handle them gently as they are very soft.
In a large bowl, beat together ¼ cup butter, cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer.
With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Spread frosting on the bottom of one cookie. Press the bottom of a second cookie against the frosting.
Notes:
Consider adding to the cookies:
ground cloves
ground nutmeg
raisins
nuts