Carrot Cupcakes to Die For!

So you're 8 days into the New Year and for all of you who have been diligently going to the gym or eating super healthy this week you deserve a treat and Ellie Kreiger's Carrot Cake recipe is the perfect way to reward yourself while still maintaining a health-minded focus!

Carrots: This recipe is so great because it's chock-full of carrots! We all know carrots are super high in beta-carotene (Which your body stores and converts to Vitamin A as needed). However, I just talked about Vitamin A in my Sweet Potato post, so let's keep it fresh and talk about Vitamin K!

1 cup of chopped carrots contains about 20% of your recommended intake of Vitamin K. This cool vitamin most notably aids in blood clotting by slowing the process of bleeding. Fun fact- it is often given to patients before surgery to prevent excessive bleeding.
On top of this, Vitamin K also helps the body absorb Calcium! That's awesome news for those of us with weaker bones or for women who may be loosing bone density as they age.
Lastly, Vitamin K also helps prevent a hardening of the arteries and therefore keeps your heart healthy. Hardened arteries and weak bones? Doesn't sound like a walk through the park... So, increase your Vitamin K intake and take a preemptive approach at your future health!

Awesome Carrot Cupcakes w Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:
* 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup natural applesauce
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
* 4 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese
* 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost and serve!

Eat smart tip: Try making the below recipe in mini-muffin tins to reduce the serving size. Keep them frozen and bring out one or two at a time to satisfy any sweet cravings you might have. (Bake for approx 8-10 mins)

http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits-of-vitamin-k.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21