Carrot Cake Muffins

While many muffins are simply cake batter poured into a muffin tin, this recipe pairs back the sugar and butter to make a muffin that you can feel reasonably good about enjoying for breakfast. The flour is enriched with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to make an aromatic crumb. The addition of molasses to the wet ingredients lends a strong syrupy sweetness that offers as much complex flavor as it does richness to the batter. The vegetable oil in the batter keeps the muffins moist and tender, and a touch of vanilla also lightens the flavor with its familiar taste.

The real stars of these muffins are the final three ingredients: freshly shredded carrot, unsweetened coconut, and plump golden raisins. As the muffins bake, each of these three ingredients is hydrated, with the carrot and coconut becoming tender-chewy and the raisins sitting as juicy pockets of sweetness strewn throughout each muffin. Since the muffins themselves are not overly sweet, a light dusting of powdered sugar after they've cooled makes for a welcomed finish.