Carrot Muffins

Carrot muffins have the look and flavor of a carrot cake only they are in muffin form. These 'Morning Glory Muffins' are cinnamon scented muffins,loaded with flavorful ingredients; things like toasted nuts, sweetened coconut, grated apple, and grated carrots. Although these muffins need no adornment, sometimes I can't resist smearing them with a little cream cheese icing. Not this time though.

The pitfall with all muffin batters is in over mixing the batter and ending up with a tough muffin. So make sure you only mix the batter until the ingredients are combined and moistened. A few flecks of flour are fine. To make the job easier, plus to give the baked muffins a nice domed shape, use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups. Of course, if you do not have one, two spoons will do the job. As always, if you want standard sized muffins, only fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. However, if you like your muffins with a crown, fill the cups almost to the top. Just make sure to grease the top of the muffin pan so that as the batter overflows it does not stick to the top of the pan. And don't forget to fill any unfilled muffin cups with a little water to ensure even baking as well as preventing the pan from warping.

My family enjoyed these nutrition packed, delicious treats on Sunday mornings. I hope yours does too!

Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 cups grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil

How to:

Preheat oven to 350° F and place rack in center of oven.
Place paper liners in 18 muffin cups.
Toast the walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
 Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Peel and finely grate the carrots.
Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground powders.
Stir in the nuts.
Set aside.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and oil.
Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.