Everyone has their favourite recipe and this just might be a new one to try the next time you have too many carrots in the refrigerator.
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup Crisco oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars and oil. When blended, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir this into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla and stir to blend. Add the grated carrots, candied ginger and pecans and stir well.
Spread into a greased 9 inch square pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Check with a toothpick in the center of the cake to ensure it is done. Cool on a rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 2 cups icing sugar
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until completely smooth. Slowly add the icing sugar and keep beating until completely smooth.
Frost the cake and keep in the refrigerator.
This is a moist, flavourful and wonderful version of a family favourite. The icing is as good as the cake. Try it, you’ll see.
Blackberry and Lime Muffins
I am so used to making muffins that, since we moved, I don’t make them as much but I still make them whenever and as often as I can. This one is a really nice recipe. It is actually a take on my blueberry muffins (from my cookbook).
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- grated rind of one lime
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, not margarine
1 pint of fresh blackberries (I use 1 -2 tbsp. sugar sprinkled over the top and lighty tossed) to eliminate the really sour bite. Omit it if you wish.
Preheat oven to 425 and spray Pam on your muffin tins and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, grated lime, salt and baking powder. Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup and add the milk. Whisk in the egg and, after making a well in the dry ingredients, add the liquids all at once.
Carefully, fold this together (do not over mix). Fold in the blackberries. I use an ice cream scoop to fill the tins. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. They should be lightly golden on top. Test to be sure they are cooked.
Turn out on a cooling rack and place a large dollop of cream cheese icing mixed with 1 tbsp. whipping cream over the top to melt and slide down the sides of the muffin. The use of the whipping cream takes away the sweetness attack from the icing.
Absolute heaven and your house smells fabulous. Now…..what do you take in yourcoffee?
** Splenda size envelopes as what you would find in restaurants for your coffee.