EDF: Carrot Muffins

Daylight Savings Time gotcha down? After years and years of being a night owl, I've finally programmed myself into one of those people who doesn't mind waking up early . . . except for the two-week period following Spring Forward when my internal clock is so messed up that I sort of stumble around, nodding at people when I really have no idea what they just said. I think it's this dragging myself out of bed in the dark of night that really gets me down and turns me around. Now is the time when my morning cup of coffee is completely crucial to my well-being. I resisted this java addiction forever. I loved coffee but it was always a treat for me. Then I moved to Washington and there was a coffee shop on every corner, and as I walk everywhere, they're constantly calling my name, begging me to stop in and get a cup. Pretty soon it was an every day thing and then I had to start making it at home so that I could avoid spending $3 a day (I get plain old coffee, no fancy drinks) and the rest is history. The coffee thing started the muffin thing though because muffins are perfect with a cup of coffee. And these carrot muffins are a great antidote for this morning darkness that I find myself currently living in. They're delicious and I think that they're at least a little bit nutritious. I am sure that you could up the nutrition factor with whole wheat flour and when I'm done Eating Down My Fridge I might just head to the store and get some to try it in these muffins. In the meantime, these muffins were a great way to use up some of the carrots and an apple that I had in my fridge. I don't have a food processor that will grate for me so you can bet that I was getting a little cardio in while I was grating my carrots and apple on the grater.

Carrot Muffins
Epicurious

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound carrots
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup corn oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 Granny Smith apple

Preheat oven to 350°F. and oil eighteen 1/2-cup muffin cups.

Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk in sugar. Coarsely shred enough carrots to measure 2 cups and chop pecans. Add shredded carrots and pecans to flour mixture with raisins and coconut and toss well.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Peel and core apple and coarsely shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture and add to flour mixture, stirring until batter is just combined well. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them three fourths full, and bake in middle of oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool muffins in cups on racks 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days

Notes:

These muffins are my first submission for Eating Down the Fridge: a challenge to see if I, and all my EDF buddies, can last the week without heading to the grocery store. This necessitated a small change to the recipe, being that I used a gala apple rather than a granny smith because that's what was in my refrigerator. I think that any apple would be fine because it doesn't impart as much flavor as it does moisture.

I left out the pecans and raisins because I'm not fond of nuts or raisins in my muffins. I didn't think that the muffins suffered at all for the omission.

I also used one teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of Penzey's Cake Spice (a mix of China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves) to add a little bit more depth of flavor with the spices in the muffins. I'm sure that the all-cinnamon variety is great but I think that one could feel free to play around with the spices in the muffins.