Creativity with Carrots

Turn on the oven and grab your mitts—holiday baking season is here! Homemade treats are a trademark of the holidays, but it can be easy to overdo it on the sugar and unhealthy fats. That’s why we love Better Baking by Genevieve Ko. Her new book is nothing but baked goods made with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and other healthful ingredients: Dessert done right. 

Better Baking is your guide to more nutritious holiday treats. Get baking today with this recipe for Candied Ginger Carrot Cakelets, a wholesome dessert with holiday flavors. 

Candied Ginger Carrot Cakelets 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (71 g) unbleached all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup (69 g) barley flour 
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 12 ounces (340 g) carrots, trimmed and cut into chunks 
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1⁄3 cup (75 g) grapeseed or other neutral oil 
• ¾ cup (156 g) sugar 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• ½ cup (81 g) candied ginger, cut into slivers 

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 36 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Whisk both flours, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the carrots, eggs, oil, sugar, and ground ginger in a blender and puree on high speed until very smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally. You don’t want any bits of carrot left. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the carrot mixture. Slowly and gently stir with a whisk, dragging in the flour from the edges, until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, working in batches if necessary. Top with the candied ginger slivers. 
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a center cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. The cakes will rise but not dome. 
4. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then slide a small offset spatula or knife between each cake and the pan to pop them out. Cool on the racks until warm or at room temperature.