By Katie Goodman
One of the best ways I’ve found to introduce new foods to my picky eater is by incorporating the new food into something we both know he already likes. In this case: muffins. A few of our successful experiments have been: Brown Sugar Pear Muffins, Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins, and Apple Banana Muffins. This way he is able to try a new food in a comfortable setting. I often don’t mention what the change is. Instead I simply ask, “Would you like a muffin?” The answer is usually yes. If he asks what kind they are, I don’t try to hide it. Luckily though, he often doesn’t ask until he’s already tried the muffin and has decided that it’s a winner. Then it’s just too late to bother making a big deal out of eating something he didn’t like. If he doesn’t ask, then I’ll ask him how he liked the muffin and then tell him what special ingredient was in it. Often the response is, “Wow! I like bananas!”
This time I wanted to try carrots with him, so I adapted a previous picky-kid-approved muffin experiment into a new recipe. He instantly saw the carrots after the first bite and wasn’t too impressed with them, but it didn’t bother him enough to get upset. The rest of the family definitely enjoyed these muffins for our breakfast dinner last night.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups grated carrot
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
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Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grate about 5-6 carrots, using the regular-sized hole on a box-type cheese grater. You don’t have to peel them, unless you would like to. Set aside.
Step 2: To grate the ginger, first use a spoon to scrape off the peel (a tip I learned via The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook – thanks, Jaden! – much easier than using a vegetable peeler) and then grate with a microplane grater until you have a fine pulp. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, mix together the sugars, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and juice, milk, and ginger until well combined. Stir in the melted butter.
Step 4: In a large bowl, stir together the white and wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine well.
Step 5: Add the grated carrot to the flour mixture and stir to coat and evenly distribute. Make a well in the center of the flour and carrot mixture. Pour in the liquid mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined and moistened. Do not over mix.
Step 6: Line muffin cups with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly among cups; I used a scant 1/4 cup per muffin. Bake on the middle rack until the muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them — about 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 7: Set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin and let them cool another 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!).
Download Recipe PDF
(Right click to save PDF to your desktop. See PDF download directions.)
About the Author:
Katie Goodman resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children (a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl). Learning in the kitchen, eating, trying new recipes, and sharing them with friends and loved ones are some of Katie’s favorite things to do. She wholeheartedly believes that part of the goodness in life is enjoying good food with good friends and family, and goodLife {eats} is a place for her to share what she finds good in the kitchen.
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