carrot cake muffins [with cream cheese frosting].

some carrots to make us feel a little better about eating dessert and some cream cheese frosting because...it's just really good.

Here's what you need:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup grated carrots, lightly packed; about 2 medium-large carrots
• 8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 
  

Here's what you do:

1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-well muffin pan. Or line the pan with paper muffin cups, and grease the cups.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and oil.

4) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

5) Fold in the grated carrots, stirring to combine.

6) Drop batter (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here) into each muffin cup (I probably filled it 3/4 full).

7) Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the cake part of one (not into the cream cheese filling) comes out clean, about 20 minutes. The tops of the muffins will feel firm to the touch.

8) Remove the muffins from the oven, and as soon as you're able to handle them, transfer them to a rack.  9) Mix together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar to make frosting. Frost them when muffins are cooled.

[adapted from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2011/04/06/inside-out-carrot-cake-%E2%80%93-carrot-cake-muffins/]