Whole Wheat Spicy Carrot Coconut Muffins

Another success from Dorie Greenspan's fantastic baking cookbook! Again, I substituted white whole wheat flour for all purpose, changed the directions to a soaked flour quick bread and used coconut oil rather than another vegetable oil in the process. YUM! These are full of healthy goodness and are moist and sweet (without being too sweet), perfect for breakfast or a snack.

(sorry, no pictures, my camera is on the fritz again. But take my word for it, you need to make these!)

Whole Wheat Spicy Carrot Coconut Muffins
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours
makes 12 standard size muffins

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup coconut oil, in liquid form
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded carrots (2-3 carrots, peeled and trimmed)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup moist, plump currants, raisins or dried cranberries
1/3 cup nuts, toasted and chopped

12 to 24 hours in advance of baking, combine flour in a medium sized bowl with 3/4 cup milk. Mix well (I had to knead mine a bit to get it completely combined), form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for 12-24 hours. I've found that this process works best if you add the liquid in the bowl first and put the flour in second; somehow more flour gets kneaded together and less gets stuck to the bowl this way!

When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin pan.

Place the cranberries in a bowl or cup and cover with hot water and allow to soak while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

In the bowl with the soaked flour, break up soaked flour "dough" into small pieces about the size of a shelled walnut. On top, sift together the sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt, ensuring the sugars have no lumps. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the oil (if your coconut oil is solid or semi-solid, briefly heat it until it is liquid), eggs and vanilla extract together until well combined. pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Do not overmix. Stir in the carrots, coconut, dried fruit and nuts. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Next time I make this I may try to find a way to sneak in some pineapple (similar to this cake I made for Lloyd's first birthday) but other than that it was perfect!