It is time for April's Muffin of the Month!!
Nothing says 'Spring is in the air' like Carrot-Coconut Muffins! Once April comes around we can usually expect that we will get a lot of rain so those flowers will bloom in May. Well I don't know about you, but we got snow in April this year! Yes, snow! Thankfully, Spring weather arrived shortly after!
Well as you know by now I am making a new muffin recipe every month this year based off of the Food Network magazine. When I saw the recipe used REAL carrots I have to admit I was pretty excited because I have never used vegetables in my muffins. You either? Well, let's get to it!
For this recipe you will need:
- 1.5 cups of all-purpose flower
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt (an individual cup does the trick!)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups grated carrots (3 large ones)
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
Get your bake on:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. (Don't have liners? Just spray each muffin holder with non-stick spray). 2. Whisk the flower, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt in a large bow; make a well in the center (see picture).
3. Whisk the brown sugar, yogurt, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla in a small bowl until combined. Then pour into the well of the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the shredded carrot*, shredded coconut, macadamia nuts, and crystallized ginger. (*Note: Squeeze the water out of the shredded carrots before adding to the mixture).
4. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean; approximately 20-25 minutes. (22 minutes did the trick for me!)
5. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. While muffins cool off, make the glaze. Stir the confectioners' sugar with 2 teaspoons of water in a bowl. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the glaze on each muffin and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Make sure you let the muffins cool almost all the way or the glaze will melt down the side of the muffin.
Now, what do you do? Enjoy a muffin over a cup of coffee with friends! Stay tuned for May's muffin of the month: Strawberry- Rhubarb Crumble muffins!
