TWD: Carrot Spice Muffins

Oh boy, Tuesday is almost over and I did not blog yet!
So, little bit late, but still on the right day - Carrot Spice Muffins, chosen by Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs. You will find the recipe on her page or in Dorie's book on page 14. I was pleased when I saw in on the schedule, because my turn to come has not come yet (and may never come... long story), but these muffins would have been on my Top-3-List.

These are easy to make, but you need some preparation time - for shredding carrots and chopping and toasting nuts. But afterwards this is a quick recipe, that can be done before breakfast. (Well, before Sunday breakfast. Me - I won't ever be able to be as quick that I can do muffins before breakfast on a ordinary weekday!)

The muffins are very moisty thanks to the carrots. Generally, I really like doughs with carrots as they give it a special texture, flavour and moistiness. The coconut in them gave it an additional pretty special touch.
I think, they would also be great without the sugar. They are not too sweet, but I can imagine them without it, too. Therefore I will keep this recipe in mind for the next Lenten season (that will come faster than I can now imagine...)

TWD: Gingered Carrot Cookies (and TWD-catch-up: Chewy Chunky Blondies)

It's the last day of my holidays. I spent some days in Riga and some in Frankfurt, visiting a friend, and today I had a final day off back in Vienna, which I love, because it gives you the possibility to come back, wash your cloths, have a final day of relaxation. And to do your baking "duties".

So I am going to make it short and simple, what is even the easier, as the Gingered Carrot Cookies, chosen by Natalia of gatti fili e farina where really easy to make (find the recipe at her page in case you don't have Dorie's book). They came together faster than fast, they baked much faster than the recipe said (about 10 mins for the first rack and the later batches even faster). And they are oh-my-gosh-good!


Natalia is one of the few Europeans partcipating in TWD and I got some helpful and great tips and hints from her about how to adapt the recipes to European conditions - thanks a lot! I am always wondering how other Europeans made it their way to TWD and I am always curipus to see what my "fellows" are choosing.

Carrots and ginger might not sound like a summer recipe, but they are indeed! Now that I tasted them I even think they are a pretty good pick for summer, because they have no chocolate and are a mix between sweet and savory.
Love them!

I will make an even quicker catch up for last week's recipe, the Chewy Chunky Blondies. I was on the road last week but I pre-made them, not at least because I adore Blondies - I even like them more than Brownies. Can you believe that you can't get Blondies round here? I have so far never seen them in Austria, Germany or France where I spent most of the last years. And I ate my first Blondie in February in NYC. Really. Not kidding.

Those were just great and I will have do re-do and re-do and re-do them again and again. My collleagues loved them. I adored them. So, thanks a lot to Nicole of Cookies on Friday for chosing them - I didn't post them in time, but I baked along with you!