Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Toss carrots and 2 tablespoons brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer; place over the bowl and let drain for 10 minutes. Discard excess liquid.

Whisk melted butter, egg, ginger, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon vanilla and the remaining ½ cup brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the drained carrots, pecans and raisins.

Using a scoop or tablespoon measure, scoop level tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets (you should have 24 scoops total); gently flatten each scoop into a 2-inch round. Bake 1 baking sheet at a time until the cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and the remaining ½ teaspoon each orange zest and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon frosting onto the flat side of each of 12 cookies; top with the remaining cookies, flat-sides down, to make sandwiches. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.