Upgrade Project: Carrot Cookies

I found this Carrot Cookie recipe and decided to try it.  The texture of the cookie is simply amazing and so soft (which I suppose is the reason for such high ratings), but it tastes like absolutely nothing.  It is the perfect example of a misleading rating system.  I have included it here however because I felt it deserves some attention for its texture.  The cup of shortening makes all the difference (I used Earth Balance's Vegan Shortening).  It was my first time using shortening for cookies and I'll definitely try it again... just not with this recipe!  Here is how I upgraded the poor unwanted dough to make something a little more tasty:

I kept adding more stuff to it and baking the new variations in separate batches.  I ended up with about 5 different sets of 10 cookies.  First I doubled the sugar.  That didn't make much of a difference.  Then I added chocolate chips and raisins.  Yummy, but not enough unless I wanted to use all my chocolate chips to add enough flavor.  Then came crushed walnuts.  Better...  Then a dusting of sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon over the cookie before baking.

My boyfriend took them to a holiday party and they went pretty quickly, he said, but I'm sure the presence of alcohol had a part in the good reviews he received.  They were okay, but more because of the texture and how interesting they looked.  When using chocolate chips, I put 3/4 in the dough and keep 1/4 separately.  Then when I make my dough balls, I'll plop 4-5 chips per cookie so they stay on top and make polka dots.