Come Here Little Wabbit, I Have Something to Show You

Recently, I've been remiss on my bi-weekly muffin runs due to a camping trip that I had to organize. Well, it's that time again and this go around, I've decided to make carrot cake muffins. For my millions upon millions of faithful readers in the inter-webs that follow this blog with slavish devotion, you know the drill. I perfected the bran muffin base and it's simply the gift that keeps on giving, except this largesse can't be controlled by Valtrex (not that I would know, obviously). 

Recipe
2 cups raisins
1 20 oz can crushed pineapples
4 medium carrots
2 cups of walnut halves
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon



Preheat the oven to 375º. Pour the bran, wheat germ and flaxseed into a bowl and pour the milk over the mixture. Give it a stir and let soak until all the milk are absorbed by the grains. Put the raisins into a bowl and pour hot water over them. This will plump up the babies and lower their sugar content. 

Enough fiber to kill Mr. Ed

Plump up, my pretties

Now, onto the star of the show, the carrots. Fit the food processor with the shredding attachment. If you do not have a food processor, use a cheese grater. Be careful though, those things have claimed more fingers than the Spanish Inquisition. I believe you can buy ready-shredded carrots at the supermarket also. Wash the carrots and cut into segments that are roughly the same length as the processor's feeder tube. The processor should yield around 3 cups of shredded carrots.
Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar on high for around 30 seconds. Add the bran/flax/wheat germ/milk mixture to the bowl and stir until just incorporated. Drain the crushed pineapple of excess liquid and pour into the blend. Try to use pineapple packed in their own juices instead of heavy syrup. We want to be able to control the amount of sugar that goes into the batter.

Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to distribute evenly. In two batches, add to the batter, stir until just combined. Using a spatula, scape down the sides. Add the shredded carrots in two batches and stir on the lowest setting. The carrots will get caught on the paddle attachment; use a spatula to scrape down the paddle of the clinging carrots. Drain the raisins, add to the mixture along with the walnuts and stir until just combined. I generally use a spatula to manually mix the batter a bit at the end to ensure all the ingredients are well distributed throughout. 
Spray the muffin tins with a bit of cooking spray. You can also line the tins with liners. Drop a generous dollop of batter into each cup and wipe the sides. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes or until the test toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before prying the muffins lose or else they might break apart. Enjoy!
Reflections
Another successful muffin excursion!! After not making the muffins for 3 weeks, I actually had to look at the recipe again to recollect the measurements. Next time, I'm going to substitute zucchinis for the carrots, or try shredding apples.