Carrot cookies from We’ll Eat Again by Marguerite Patten OBE 

Marguerite Patten was a hugely successful cookery writer with over 170 cookery books to her name and during the Second World War she worked for the Ministry of Food helping families to prepare the best food with their rations. 

These little cookies (and they are little!) are lovely and I’ve made them several times before. I usually cream butter and sugar in my food processor but as this only uses such a little, I did it by hand and had forgotten how hard it is, but what a good work out for the arms! Other than that, they are so easy to make and would be great for young children to help to make.  

It did say that the mix made 12 – 15 cookies and I stretched it to 12 so it really makes it clear how much larger our portion sizes are today than 80 years ago, something I’ve found a lot when using older cookery books. 

You wouldn’t know that there is any carrot in these and I’m sure a bit of mixed spice might be a tasty addition for something different. Now all I have to do is stop us both eating them all in one go*. 

Enjoy! – Sarah Mortimer

* Oops! Too late! 

Recipe

1 tablespoon Margarine

2 tablespoons sugar and a little extra for sprinkling on top of the cakes

a few drops of vanilla, almond or orange flavouring

4 tablespoons grated raw carrot

6 tablespoons self raising flour our plain flower and a teaspoon of baking powder

Method

Cream the fat and sugar together until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the flavouring and carrot. Fold in the flour or flour and baking powder. Drop in spoonfuls of the mixture into small greased patty pans. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake in a brisk oven for about 20 minutes.