Shawnee Phillips

Mildly spicy and moist.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a standard 12-muffin pan or line with paper cups. Whisk together thoroughly:

• 1-½ cups wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• More than 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• More than ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• More than ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• More than ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• Whisk together in large bowl:
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sugar

Stir in and let stand for 10 minutes:

• 1-½ cups packed finely shredded carrots.

Stir in:

• ¼ cup orange juice (any juice will do)
• 5 tablespoons warm, melted, unsalted butter or vegetable oil
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
• ½ cup golden raisins.

Add the flour mixture and fold just until the dry ingredients aer moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack. Serve as soon as possible, preferably the day they are baked. They last for about 5 days if stored in plastic bags.