Right
through my childhood whenever mum asked me to help her in the kitchen, always
something really simple like peeling a cucumber or whisking a cake batter or
just filling up all the water bottles, I would start pretending to be cooking
diva with my imaginary audience right there, applauding me for my culinary expertise ofcourse.
Fast
forward some decades and my little chefling, Sara does the same at home. Her
typical script runs something like this, "Hello everyone, I am Sara the chef and
today I am going to be showing you how to make the world’s best (Please proceed
to insert any dish of your choice)....". It is always the world’s best when MLC
is making it!
So when
the opportunity to play “Nigella” in real life came along, I knew I just couldn’t
refuse it. It all started with an email from the lovely team at Lootah Premium Foods asking me if I’d like to conduct a short cooking demonstration at
Galeries Lafayette as part of their “Meet the Blogger” event.
See more pics here
That
there were going to be eleven other wonderful ladies joining me in this
challenge, helped. We were given some wonderful produce from Lootah to cook and
I decided to bake Carrot and Raisin Cupcakes with a cream cheese icing. The
healthier version.
For as long as I can remember I've always loved
cooking. And about four years back when I became a
mum the focus shifted from just cooking to cooking wholesome nutritious food and
eating variety. Healthy, nutritious food as against the junk that the children
obviously like and want and we are guilty of giving them, at times. Yours truly
included.
And so when I was given a platform to cook and
talk, I decided to preach:)
What is interesting about these cupcakes is that these
are made out of wholewheat as opposed to the refined flour that most cupcakes
are made out of. Refined flour or the fair flour has always dominated the
baking food industry and though it yields much more attractive results, it does not contain even
quarter the amount of health benefits that whole wheat has to offer. Whole wheat flour on the other hand is power packed with nutrients. It is fibre rich and is loaded with
minerals and vitamins. A great choice for our little munchkins.
Having
said that, I need to tell you that these cupcakes aren't as
light as those made with white flour, the bran in them gives them a coarse texture
which I think works well with the carrot.
Coming to carrots, not only is it “good for the eyes” but it is also good for the skin. Carrots are rich in
beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver which helps to
protect the skin from sun damage. The cupcakes also have raisins that are a great source of
energy, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. Very rich in iron and potassium.
If your little one is not fond of raisins, you may use prunes, dry apricots, walnuts,
hazelnuts, whatever you fancy.
Whenever I make them I always make them mini and
at times even without the icing. One, because Sara can take them to school as a snack or eat one for breakfast so the portion is perfect for her little tummy (Imagine
she gets to eat a dessert for breakfast ofcourse with veggies inside it!). And two, if you are making them with the
icing, the size helps you portion control the sugar bit. But go with what you
like. This is a very forgiving recipe so you can make it into bigger cupcakes for
a party or even a loaf cake, like a warm tea cake with some cream.
Before I share the recipe, I must
thank Tony and James from Lootah for giving them lovely opportunity to conduct
this demo, the ever helpful team at Lafayette, especially Chef Adrian and a big
thanks to all those who came to encourage me.
Carrot and raisin cupcakes
with cream cheese icing.
Makes 22 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
175 gm whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
150 ml oil
150 gms soft light brown sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 gms raisins
225 gms carrots, peeled and grated
For the icing:
1 orange
75 gms cream cheese
175 gms golden icing sugar
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly oil two 12
hole muffin trays.
1. Sift the flour,baking powder,cinnamon
and salt in a bowl (Include any bran from the sieve).
2. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract,
raisins and grated carrots.
3. Beat until smooth and spoon into the
muffin trays.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes until risen and golden.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
For the icing:
1. Peel
thin strips of zest from the orange.
2. Beat
the cream cheese and icing sugar together with 2 tsp juice from the orange to
make a spreading consistency.
3. Swirl
or simply spread the icing over each cupcake and then top with shreds of orange
zest.
These
cupcakes will keep for 3 days in an airtight container in a cool place.
*I have used cinnamon because I enjoy it as a supporting
flavour but if you are not a big fan, you can easily leave this out. You can
add pumpkin pie spice if you like.
**Also, usually one drains the grated carrot in
kitchen roll before using it, to absorb the excess liquid but here it isn't required
because the extra water actually helps keep the cake pleasantly moist.
**Adding a bit of the orange juice to the icing does
lift the icing.
Images: Personal Album.While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated
