Guilt-Free Carrot Muffins

It was at a Starbucks in Japan when I had my first carrot muffin.  I loved that muffin because not only did it sound healthy but it was good too.  The muffin had carrots in it...should be healthy, right?  Well, I bet it wasn't.  It was big, rich, and incredibly sweet, and that was exactly how the Japanese describe as "American taste."  The muffin was too sugary and greasy to be healthy.  But, that was all good.  I was young, and I could afford to eat such decadent muffins anytime I wanted.  Now the times have changed, and I'm at a point where I should watch my diet more carefully  Thus, I present to you, my recipe for truly healthy, yet tasty, carrot muffins.  These muffins are less sweet and less oily than regular muffins, but the raisins and walnuts give enough flavor to satisfy your taste buds.

Guilt-Free Carrot Muffins  Print Recipe Quantity Ingredients 2/3 cup raisins 1 cup whole wheat flour* 1/2 cup all purpose flour* 1 tsp baking powder* 1/2 tsp baking soda* 1/4 tsp nutmeg* 1/2 ~1 tsp cinnamon powder* 1/4 tsp salt* 3 eggs 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup oil 2 1/2 cup shredded carrots 2/3 cup walnuts Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking cups in each cup in the muffin tin (or lightly grease the cups, sprinkle flour, then shake off excess flour. )  Soak the raisins in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients (marked with *）and mix well. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and oil. Add the flour mixture and mix with spatula until incorporated. Add carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Add the mixture to the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick near the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. Take out the muffins from the tin, and cool on a rack.   Yields 12 muffins