littletree bakes...carrot and apple muffins

I think after Monday's recipe/illustration bonanza (I love that word!) I had to bake something, anything! And I have been dying to try making carrot and apple muffins for ages...not sure where the idea came from now, probably from the many food blogs I drool over regularly! So as I had no formal recipe this one is adapted from the Carrot muffin recipe from my trusty muffin book...

Ingredients

• 10oz Self Raising Flour
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1tsp Cinnamon & 1/2tsp Nutmeg
• 3oz Soft Brown Sugar & 3oz Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3floz Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter
• 3floz Milk
• 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
• Zest of a small Orange
• 10oz of grated Carrot and Apple (roughly 2 large carrots and 2 apples)
• A handful of Chopped Nuts or Dried Fruit

Let's Bake!

• Preheat oven to 200c and line a 12 hole muffin tin.
• Weigh out all the dry ingredients (flour, bicarb, sugars, spices and salt) and mix together in a large bowl until well combined.
• In a jug measure out the 3floz of Oil/Butter and 3floz of Milk, add the Vanilla and the Egg, whisk thoroughly.
• Leave the wet and dry ingredients separate while you grate the Carrot and Apple and zest the Orange into another bowl.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the oil/milk/egg mix, stir through until starting to combine, then add the carrot/apple/zest mix.
• Stir until no flour is visible, you will have a very thick lumpy mixture, divide between the cases filling about 3/4 full. (above)
• Pop in the oven for 20-25 minute or until golden brown and springy to the touch.
• Remove and leave to cool before icing.

Now traditionally carrot cake has a cream cheese frosting which is good if your planning to eat your muffins within a day or two...so to last longer (still in a sealed tin) I iced these with ordinary icing sugar made up with orange juice instead of water to give them an extra zingy kick! And they are super tasty, light and moist plus they're good for you...well...better than chocolate ones would be anyway!x