There are worse ways to avoid cleaning your craft area, no? It's one of those things where the pile is getting worse before getting better and I had to step away for a bit. And naturally food seemed like a much better idea. It always does...Ty and I made carrot cupcakes and I wanted to share.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
1 cup (8oz can) crushed pineapple in its own juice
3 cups whole wheat flour (white flour is fine, though)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 egg white
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely shredded carrots
1/2 cup applesauce
Heat oven to 350. Drain pineapple and reserve the juice. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the reserved pineapple juice, eggs, egg whites, vanilla and oil. Beat at medium speed until blended. It will be a dense mixture. With a spoon stir in the carrots, pineapple, and applesauce.
Spoon mixture into muffin tins, bake until a toothpick stuck into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 22 mins. Remove to a wire rack to cool 2 mins. Serve warm. Makes 24 cupcakes.
* I prefer to use whole wheat flour and bagged pre-shredded carrots. This keeps the cupcakes from getting too moist. They tend to completely fall apart if they are too moist. I also like to add raisins and walnuts to the batter (1/2 cup each) but my kids won't eat raisins and my husband won't eat nuts in baked goods. If you have a not-to-sweet cream cheese frosting they are ah-may-zing with a little frosting and crushed walnuts sprinkled on top.
