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| Mindy's Version |
If a person without a nose came into my apartment and saw me sitting here, they'd think that I just got done with a run. It's about 92 * outside today, which means it's about 122* in my place, which means I'm sweating, and barely clothed...and that was before I set the oven to 325*. Have I set the stage enough to describe the agony I went through to make this week's Carrot Cupcakes? Back to the person without a nose, I feel bad for you. For more reasons than one, but currently because these cupcakes are in the oven and smell amazing. I guess it pays to actually add spices when a recipe calls for it, I can actually smell the ground ginger and cinnamon! I can only imagine how great it would smell if I splurged for the $9.00 ground cloves and $12.00 (yes dollars) real vanilla bean. The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) always uses the vanilla bean... but she also lives in the Hamptons and probably has air conditioning.
Initially looking at this recipe I'm thinking it might actually be somewhat healthy... no butter, carrots, golden raisins (which I was really excited to buy) and some solid spices that when usually added overcompensate for lack of real flavor.. ha like the butter. Martha even goes to say that "Unfrosted carrot cupcakes make delicious snacks", well yeah no duh, don't all cupcakes make delicious snacks? Let's be serious, 1 and a half cups of oil and 2 cups of sugar quickly turned this batter into a caloric catastrophe. She clearly doesn't realize that her "snack" would constitute a whole meal on the Weight Watchers system.
I've read through the recipe multiple times, making sure I have all the ingredients (lesson learned last week) and I start shredding the carrots. Have you ever seen 1 pound of shredded carrots? I went through 2 different graters to get the job done, and only grated my finger once. Martha says to mix all the wet ingredients together, including the raisins. This batter looks disgusting. Probably close to the Easter Bunny's puke after his night long binge of carrots, jelly beans and chocolate. But it smells good. Add the dry goods and of course I have to taste test the batter. (Because I know how it should taste, not.) It tastes good too. At this point I'm starting to think my Aunt Klaudia's reign of "best carrot cake recipe" is coming to an end (no offense). And, I'm going to have to tap into my extra ww points for the week.
The frosting is a cream cheese frosting. Duh. Nothing goes better with carrot cake, than cream cheese frosting. I've actually made Martha's CC frosting before, so I knew what I was getting into. I halved the recipe, because the first time I made it I had leftovers and used it as a vegetable dip...uhhh talk about puke. I had to laugh when she says to use the butter and cream cheese at room temperature... if she only knew. She toasts coconut to dress the top with, and I decide this is an excellent idea. I wish you all could bite into this thing, it's delicious. Move over Aunt Klaudia. I'll be having salad for dinner.
Cupcake Stats:
Martha says this recipe makes 24, it made me: 30
Weight Watcher points: 5 for the cupcake, 2 for the CC frosting (and you thought veggies were 0)
** Special note** Aunt Klaudia, keep baking yours.. it is family tradition after all!
