• 1 medium carrot
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the Frosting
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Make the topping: Peel long ribbons from the carrot using a vegetable peeler, then slice the ribbons lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strands (you’ll need about 48).

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Bring the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot strands and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Arrange the strands in squiggles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the cupcakes: Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup mini-muffin pans with paper liners. Put the flour, almonds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.

Whisk the grated carrots, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the mini-muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese and butter with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice and almond extract. Pipe or spread on the cupcakes. Top with the candied carrots.

Preheat grill to 400°F.

Divide beef into six portions. Roll one portion of meat between hands, working it together to create a tightly formed ball (the beef should not be crumbly). Divide ball in half, forming one half into another ball and then flattening it into a large circle on a cutting board (should be larger than the bun size, as the beef will shrink a bit during cooking).

Fold one slice of American cheese into quarters and arrange the cheese in the center of the beef, overlapping the slices a bit to leave the beef edges exposed. Roll the other half of the beef into a ball and flatten into a circle the same size as the first, then lay it onto top of the cheese. Pinch the edges of beef together, sealing all holes. You will have a lump in the top of the patty where the cheese lies inside. Repeat with the rest of the beef to create six lucy patties into total. (Burger patties can be made in advance and then refrigerated until ready for grilling.)

Place burger patties on grill, pocket of cheese side up. Sprinkle each patty with steak seasoning. Close lid and grill for 8-9 minutes, then flip burgers. Pierce each patty once with a sharp knife to let out the steam from the melting cheese. Close lid and continue cooking 7-8 minutes longer. At this point, you can either move the patties to a low heat on the grill to keep until ready to serve or pull them off onto a clean plate and cover with foil.

To assemble: If serving with optional toppings, lay pickle slices on bottom half of bun, followed by fried onions and then one jucy lucy patty and the top of the bun.

WARNING: The cheese inside a jucy lucy is extremely hot. Let burgers rest for a couple minutes before eating.