Butter mixture: In a large bowl use a spatula to mix butter and powdered (icing) sugar until it turns pale in color and light in texture.
½ cup (113g) salted butter, softened to room temperature, ½ cup (55g) powdered sugar
Flour mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves (optional) and salt.
1 ⅛ cups (140g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt
Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then stir in shredded carrots. Add chopped pecans (if using). Mix to form a crumbly dough.
½ cup (40g) shredded (grated) carrots, ¼ cup (25g) chopped pecans
Use your hands or a spatula to mix everything together until you have a soft dough.