I’m off on Mondays so I worked out, went to a meeting (no not AA!) it was weight watchers, if you have to know, and then went to the grocery store to get groceries. I bought food to make four of the recipes out of Deceptively Delicious. We’re having the beef stew for dinner, but I think my favorite thing I made today was the carrot cake muffins. They have carrot puree hidden inside (obviously) but also cauliflower puree (which I don’t think I would EVER have purchased to just have by itself). It’s not that I hate cauliflower. It’s just not my favorite vegetable, so the only time I ever see it is when it’s lying there, dried out on some random salad bar. The muffins are delicious and are frosted with light cream cheese and some orange juice concentrate. Yum. Help yourself to the recipe below:

Carrot Cake Muffins  (makes 12)

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 T trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
• 1 C carrot puree
• 1/2 C cauliflower puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 T frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 C dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 C pitted prunes, chopped
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice

Frosting (OPTIONAL)

• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/4 C confectioner’s sugar
• 2 T frozen orange juice concentrate

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

2.  In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat the sugar with the margarine until smooth. Stir in the purees, egg, orange juice concentrate, and vanilla, and then the apricots and prunes. Add the flower, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice, and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix; there are supposed to be lumps in the batter.

3.  Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool.

4.  To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and orange juice concentrate in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the frosting on the cooled muffins.

5. Store in an airtight container at room temp. for up to 2 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 1 month.