New Feature: Yummy Mondays! (Carrot Cupcakes)

I'm super excited to introduce a new feature here on Our Little Lentil! Yummy Mondays will spotlight delicious vegetarian recipes, complete with pictures and step-by-step instructions. Since I've been home on maternity leave, I've been cooking a lot more homemade meals and snacks, to be healthy by eating more fresh food, and to also help us save money. If I'm going to be experimenting in the kitchen anyway, I might as well share the good stuff with you all! I hope you enjoy this new feature here on my little blog :)

To kick off Yummy Mondays, here's the how-to for some delicious Carrot Cupcakes (from the june/july 2011 issue of kiwi magazine)!

Carrot Cupcakes
{Makes 12}

Ingredients
1/2 pound carrots
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil


(You may be wondering what the confectioner's sugar and orange are doing in this picture... there was a glaze that didn't work out so well, but the cupcakes are delicious enough that they don't need the glaze!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate the carrots.





Measure the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended.



Add the grated carrots to the bowl and mix to combine.



In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugars, and mix until well combined.



Add the oil and mix until smooth.



To this, add the flour and carrot mixture, and mix until well combined.



Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Fill the liners until they are about two-thirds full with the batter.



Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.



Take cupcakes out of tin, let cool, then enjoy!

{If you are interested in contributing a recipe to Yummy Mondays, please contact me. The only requirements are that the recipe be vegetarian and yummy. You must also include step by step instructions and lots of pictures!}