Carrot Cakes with Cointreau Glaze

Carrot cake is one of those desserts that often gets a bad rap. People read "carrot" and automatically think "healthy." I mean, there's usually nuts and all kinds of nice stuff in there, right? So we of course slather it with cream cheese icing to make up for the fact that there may be good-for-you ingredients and the result is a tasty but often overly sweet dessert.

I made some lovely Carrot Cake Muffins  a while back, and I had some extra carrots in the crisper, so I decided to make them into little cake-like loaves this time around, using the same recipe, but tweaking it a bit. I added dried cranberries and used the leftover liquid from the "spiked" raisins and cranberries to make a lovely glaze for the top, and drizzled it over the warm cakes (whisk together with 2 TBS of half/half, 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract). Instead of adding a cloyingly sweet cream-cheese icing, I let the carrots (and Cointreau) speak for themselves.

The result?

Need I say more?
xoxo

Pssst! Can't get enough carrots? Try these other great carrot recipes: Carrot Pancakes, Roasted Carrots with Maple-Harissa Glaze, and Carrot Soufflé

Easter Treats

When my sisters and I were little, my parents used to hide our Easter baskets in various spots around the house. We'd get up early in the morning and follow a trail of paper bunny tracks to the hidden pink, purple, and yellow baskets overflowing with plastic grass, colorful jelly beans, milk chocolate bunnies, sticky Peeps, and our favorite books and toys. Such fun!

For me, the biggest thrill was in the hunt. The basket of treats was definitely awesome, but it was the anticipation of what was in store that I liked best. I feel the same way about food. My favorite part of being served/serving loved ones a meal is right after everyone takes their seat and the food starts coming out. I love those moments of anticipation and wonder, followed by the sights, smells and finally tastes. It makes all the time and effort worth it. And it inspires me to come up with fun new dishes to share.

Here are some favorite recipes to help inspire your holiday dinner menu. Think of them as a trail of floury Gourmess tracks leading straight to your kitchen, from mine:

Carrot Soufflé  makes a great side dish to a tender leg of lamb, a gorgeous roast duck, or buttery baked ham.

Want something green? Take 1.5 lb of Brussels Sprouts, cut off the ends and slice in half lengthwise, then toss in a few tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, a couple twists of pepper, and a dash or two of balsamic vinegar.  Roast in a 400 degree oven until browned and tender, about 40 mins.  Add crispy bacon crumbles if you like, and toss with a bit more olive oil before serving.

Serve these Carrot Cake Muffins in a basket along with your famous Hot Cross Buns for a little variety.

Or, for dessert, top with cream cheese icing and a sprinkle of chopped toasted pecans.

Cream cheese icing: 1 stick butter (softened), 1 package of cream cheese (softened), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 3 cups (more or less) confectioner's sugar. Using mixer, cream butter and cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and ginger and mix. Slow down mixer and add sugar about 1/2 a cup at a time, until icing is thick and at the level of sweetness you prefer.

Another great choice for your bread basket: I made this Holiday Harvest Bread in December using Seminole squash, but you can replace the squash with 1 1/2 cups grated carrot and serve for Easter!

Not sure what to do with that giant chocolate bunny towering above your other centerpieces? The one your dog keeps eyeballing and is threatening to ruin your spring break diet? Chop it up and make Chocolate Bark with it, then serve for dessert.

There won't be any left to taunt you, or your dog.

This family recipe for  Lazy Daisy Cake makes a lovely dessert!

Add some pastel sprinkles or jelly beans to the top for some Easter whimsy. Or, serve it with a dollop of orange or raspberry sherbet for a pop of tang and color.

Hoppy Easter!

xoxo

Top photo courtesy of Clip Art.

Carrot Cake Muffins

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

I have had a bit of a dilemma this week.  I have been overtaken by crisp, bright orange, organic carrots. There are literally 18 of them in my fridge.  Every day, they stare out at me from the see-through drawer and beg to be used before they go floppy...and before more show up in my next organic box.  

All winter, I roasted them with other root vegetables, tossed them into chicken soup or slow cooker meals, and even made them into a lovely carrot soup.  But, the weather is getting warmer, and I'm not quite in the mood for a heavy stew...what to do?

I did a bit of searching online and found several recipes for carrot cake, carrot cookies, and carrot muffins.  I merged a few together with my own thoughts to make what I have decided to call "Carrot Cake Muffins." I did everything using my food processor, but you can use whatever tools/methods work best for you. The walnut oil gives it a lovely nuttiness, but don't stress if you can't find it. These muffins were moist and cake-like, and the spices and spiked raisins gave them a terrific flavor. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Cointreau 
• 1 TBS orange zest
• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 pinch plus 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each, nutmeg and allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, grated carrots  (about 6-8 carrots, depending on size)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup walnut oil (or vegetable oil if you can't find it)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

To Do:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Butter/flour 12 muffin tins, or line with paper muffin liners.
• Heat orange liqueuor to just boiling, and add orange zest. Cook 1 minute, then remove from heat and drain hot liquid into a small heat-safe bowl (toss the zest). Stir in the raisins and set aside to let them marinate/plump up. I like to add in a pinch of cinnamon at this point.
• Chop pecans using food processor, stir in the 1 tsp of cinnamon, the nutmeg, allspice and salt, and set aside in small bowl.
• Chop carrots using food processor, and add in sugar, oil and eggs until blended.
• Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl (flour, powder, soda) and add in the spiced chopped pecans. Then, add this mixture to the food processor bowl that holds the carrots. Process until the ingredients are moist and have a batter-like texture.
• Drain the raisins and then fold them into the batter with a wooden spoon.
• Fill the muffin tins 2/3 of the way full and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. If you have extra batter like I did, make mini-muffins! (My mini-muffin pan is one of my favorite things lately.)
• Top with your favorite icing for dessert, or eat plain, slathered with butter for breakfast.

Yum!

xoxoxo