Muffin Monday: Loaded Carrot Muffins

 Loaded Carrot Muffins

Makes 24 muffins (because if your going to go to the trouble of grating carrots, might as well make a lot af muffins, right?)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Flour

• 2 teaspoons  Baking Powder

• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1 teaspoon Salt

• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups White Sugar

• 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

• 1 cup vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Organic Vanilla Yogurt ( I think if you use Soy Yogurt these muffins will be Dairy Free?)

• 1/2 cup Orange Juice

• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
• 3 cups Shredded Carrots

• 1 cup Golden Raisins

• 1 cup Sesame Seeds

• 1/2 cup Chopped Pistachios (or other nuts)

• 1 cup Small Flake Coconut

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 24 muffin cups.

2. Combine the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Salt, White Sugar and Brown Sugar in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl combine the Oil, Orange Juice, Yogurt and Vanilla.

4. Add the wet to the dry and mix until smooth.

5. Add the remaining ingredients all at once folding gently into the batter. 

6. Distribute the batter evenly into the 24 muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

7. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, then cool another 5 minutes on a rack or plate before eating. Enjoy.

I raided the cabinet to come up with this recipe. I didn’t have enough nuts so I added the sesame seeds. The source recipe called for pineapple — which I didn’t have, so I put in the raisins and the OJ to off set the texture and moisture of the pineapple. I also cut way back on the amount of sugar the source recipe called for. And I tossed in the coconut at the last-minute to give the  muffins  a little extra flavor and fiber. Then I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I’m glad to say they came out really well (even if the final photos didn’t… sorry). The coconut flavor really married with the carrot and raisin nicely. And, happily, the texture of  the  coconut flakes, which I know bothers some people, wasn’t a problem at all.

Muffin taster Pianogirl rated these muffins as “absolutely delicious!” She’s a fan of both coconut and pistachios, so these were right up her alley. She plans on “having one of them for breakfast, with a side dish of fresh pineapple and avocado.” — Sounds like a good plan Pianogirl!

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