My Carrot Muffins

These were Carrot Muffins.

We have a bunch of carrots in the refrigerator because a few weeks ago I was easily hooked by "one buy, one get free" ads. Because maybe it was a grocery where I usually don't shop at, so I felt I would never come back to the deal. Or maybe I had realized that carrots could be the veggie that I use the most frequently, equal to onions. I was sure I would use all eventually, but a 2 lb. carrot bag x 2 = a lot unless we had cute fluffy bunnies hopping around in our backyard (I wished).

Luckily I was given a guidance. Last week when I visited a friend for her birthday party, the birthday cake was a carrot cake. Bingo! Instead of cake with several layers of rich cream cheese frosting, I thought I could make a bit more healthier and something easy to sneak into J's lunch bag - muffin version.

In short, the carrot muffins I created were amazing! The best carrot muffins ever, well, in fact I was not sure if I had made carrot muffins before while certainly I made a carrot cake for my father-in-law's birthday some years ago. My muffins with generous carrots, raisins, walnuts were light, moist, and hearty festive spicy - perfect to welcome fall season. Tried to make them healthier - refined sugar free (I used honey and Splenda), butter free (instead, only 3 tbs veggie oil), just one egg, rich in fiber from whole wheat, raisin, nuts and, of course, carrots! etc... meanwhile I didn't forget this: no carrot cake/muffins without sweet cream cheese. I hid a little drop of cream cheese filling inside for a happy surprise. I like pairing carrot with orange, but didn't have fresh orange in hand; Grand Marnier played the part.
    
By the way, I had never had carrot cake/muffins in Japan. I think, at least when I was there, carrot desserts was not common in Japan. So, it was a total stranger to me, and even I thought pairing carrot and cream cheese really strange. Then, here I am: an eager carrot muffin baker.

My Carrot Muffins
MAKES 12

Dry ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of clove
pinch of salt

Wet ingredients
1 egg
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yoghurt or mixture of both
1/4 cup honey
3 carrot, shredded
handful raisin
handful roasted walnut, chopped
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extra
1 tbs Grand Marnier

Filling
5 oz low-fat cream cheese
1 tbs Splenda
1 tbs Grand Marnier

1. Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside
2. Whisk egg, sour cream/yoghurt and honey, add carrot, raisin, walnut, oil, vanilla, Grand Marnier, mix well, set aside
3. Mix all filling ingredients in a small bowl, set aside
4. Add dry mixture into wet mixture, gently mix together
5. Spoon the dough into lightly oiled muffin pans, fill half each mold, make a small hollow in the center, drop about 2 tsp filling into the hollow, cover the filling with the rest of dough
6. Bake 375F, about 20 min