9. CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE MUFFINS
A few weeks ago, I bought one of the few Small Batch Baking cookbooks currently out. I have wanted one for a while because large amounts of baked goods do not go over well with my small family. We can not eat a large number of sweets in a few days. This book is perfect for those of us who love to bake and have small families. The first recipe I chose from the book was this delightful little recipe. I tweaked it a bit, adding dates instead of raisins. I guess you could say this is not your everyday carrot cake, and that’s a good thing considering the chocolate added to it.
Ingredients :
- 9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped dates
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup grated carrots
- 3 tablespoons crushed pineapple (reserve 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice)
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 1-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. In a food processor, separately pulse walnuts, chocolate, and carrots. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, oil, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Mix with a spoon.
- Add cinnamon, vanilla, oil, egg, dates, carrots, pineapple, and walnuts. Mix well with a spoon until combined.
- Line 3 large jumbo muffin cups or six regular cups. Making sure to fill empty cups with water so the pan does not scorch. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pineapple juice. Whisk together until the glaze is smooth.
- Allow muffins to cool, then glaze.
Yields: 3 jumbo or 6 regular
Yum!