Carrot and Cream Cheese Muffins

Another keeper!!!  I have always liked carrot cake, but never really craved it.  I probably like it more for the cream cheese icing than for the cake itself.  These muffins I can see myself craving.  Yes, they're that good.

Carrot Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Preheat oven to 350.
Sift together:
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp.baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar

In a separate bowl, beat:
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil until lightened.
Stir in:
1½ c. shredded carrots
½ c. chopped walnuts
½ c. raisins that have been soaked for 10 minutes in hot water (or warmed rum, if you’d like).

In another bowl, cream:
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 egg yolk
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/oil mixture. Stir until just combined. Fill mini-muffin cups about ¾ full. Plop a generous teaspoon of the cream cheese filling on top of the batter in each muffin cup.  (I used a pastry/decorator bag, but a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the corner would work, too)

Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.

Mmmmmm.......I love it even more because it has hidden vegetables!

http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/carrot-muffins-with-cream-cheese/

Best Ever Banana Bread

This recipe is my mom's ever famous banana bread.  I'm not sure where she got the recipe.  The name is no fluke...

1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
4 tbsp. thick, sour milk (I use regular milk and add a few drops of lemon juice)
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Mix in order given.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Bake in greased and floured bread pan for 1 hour in 350 degree oven.  (I also made this into muffins - bake 20 min. @ 350 degrees)

The cutest baking apprentice EVER!

Best Ever Banana Bread

Enjoying a banana muffin

(still in pajamas @ noon, and yes, those are IA State Fair tattoos on their foreheads!)