Cupcakes!



Carrot & Apple Cupcakes!

This episode and recipe comes out of the blue today because my friend, Shalon Whitgob, is throwing herself a “pre-surgery” cupcake party! And since she is too far away for me to actually participate, I am honoring her with this extra special episode of BellinieBits! And really, who doesn’t just love a cute little cupcake to indulge in every now and then? Now my dilemma with the whole cupcake thing is this…what constitutes a cupcake as opposed to a muffin? They are shaped the same, taste the same, minus frosting and decorations…so is that the only difference? Frosting? Well, not knowing the proper answer to this question of mine, I decided to make one of my favorite muffin recipes and turn it into a cupcake. So here you go – I hope my ignorance on this subject doesn’t offend anyone!

Cupcake/Muffin:

Wet ingredients –
1 grated apple, skin and all
2 grated carrots, approximately 2 cups
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup molasses
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
3 eggs

~~~Mix all the wet ingredients well in a medium bowl, then add:

Dry ingredients –
1 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup ground flax (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

~~~Mix until well incorporated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease 12 muffin tins, or use cupcake liners. Using 1/3 cup measure, evenly distribute the batter to each of the 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese
2 oz butter (1/2 stick)
¾ pound powdered sugar
½ tsp maple extract
¼ tsp salt
Milk to thin, if needed

~~~Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add salt. Blend in about 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. After 3rd cup has been added, add maple extract and mix well. Add more sugar if you need to stiffen the frosting more. If frosting is too thick, add 1 tsp of milk at a time until it reaches proper consistency. Frost each cupcake with about 1 Tablespoon of the icing.

Candied Carrots:
In a medium sauce pan, bring to boil 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar. Add 2 cups of grated carrots to syrup mixture, and then let simmer for 1 hour. Drain carrots with a fine sieve, and then spread out on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil. Set oven to 275 degrees, and let dry for a few hours, until hardened. Crumble to the size you want for sprinkling over cupcakes.

And do me an extra special favor too, and go visit Shalon's page and take a peek at her journey, and learn why she is such a special lady, and why she's imprinted on my heart forever:
Alcohol....it's the new glue!

You are now ready to share this treat and ENJOY!