Carrot Cake Muffins (for the baking challenged)

It's no secret around here that I'm not a baker.  (I play one on TV).

It's just not very easy for me to get from point A to point B. First of all, I don't like to measure. That's why I can cook. Take a recipe, play with it, taste the sauce, add a little bit of this, a lot of that, and SOMEHOW it ends up yummy.  If you do that with baking, the results are likely disastrous, and sometimes downright dangerous. Things can EXPLODE!

Oh well. I'm still a fan of eating baked goods, and we all know, where there's a will, there's a way.

Oh yeah - Box Mixes. Roll your eyes, and scoff if you like. You in your fancy baking apron. But, I like box mixes. With a little tinkering, no one even has to know!

And here's a recipe for Carrot Cake Muffins that I Saw at A Peek Into My Paradise, and I thought, "I can do this". I can even put a little of my own special spin on it.  And by special spin, I mean frosting!  There are a few things I've learned in life - and this is an important one of those things - everything tastes better with frosting and bacon. (Not together, silly.)

Anyway, here's the dealio.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Take a carrot cake mix. Dump the contents in a big bowl.  DO NOT add anything the box calls for, just the powdered mix.

Now take a can of pumpkin. Put that in with the cake mix.


Stir, stir, stir.  Stir til it's all mixed up. Then put the mess in a gallon Ziploc baggie. Trim the corner off and pipe into muffin tin (with liners). Or just use a spoon an fill the liners. Either way, it will not look very good at this point. You'll see. Pretend not to notice and carry on.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  While they bake, make this recipe for frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(I use fat-free cream cheese and no one can tell)

 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. butter 
• 1 c powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Blend softened cheese and butter in mixer.
2. Blend and whip in the sugar and vanilla. (you can add more sugar to taste)
3. Beat in enough milk to get the right spreading consistency. (Not too thin, not to thick, just right, okay?)

When the muffins are done, let them cool. Don't eat them yet! They're about to get fabulous. Well, better, at least.

Take each muffin and slice it in half, like so:

 

Then frost the middle. THAT WAY you don't get frosting on your fingers. Eat 'em up and give 'em to your kids. Just don't tell them how you did it - you'll be a rock-star.

 

 

Pretend as if you've been grating carrots, sifting flour, and whisking eggs all day. Maybe even put on a fancy baking apron.