Tag: baking

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Goji Berry and Carrot Cupcakes

Goji Berry (wolfberries) and Carrot Cupcakes

This child-friendly, nutrient-dense carrot cake recipe is enhanced with the addition of goji berries, or wolfberries. Often called a superfood, goji berries are packed with a whole load of nutrients. Containing all eight essential amino acids and a high levels of healthy antioxidants, Goji berries are known for their anti-aging effects, and benefits to eye and immune health.

What you’ll need

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 medium sized carrots, scrubbed and shredded
  • 1/3 cup goji berries

How to make it

  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C.
  2. In a bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat oil, brown sugar and eggs together well.
  4. Add sifted ingredients and mix only until just combined. Fold in grated carrots and goji berries.
  5. Line a 12-cup muffin (or 24-cup mini muffin) pan. Fill cups two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes (15-18 minutes for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. Remove tin from oven and cool for 10 minutes
  7. Remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool before serving or frosting.
  8. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for several days

Notes:

  • We used a mix of purple and orange carrots, either can be used.
  • As this cupcake is oil-based, it can be eaten straight out of the fridge.

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Rustic Carrot Swirl Bread

Freshly baked bread with carrot swirl

The carrot is such a beautiful and wholesome ingredient. When baked as a bread, the carrot exudes an irresistible hue and injects a subtle sweetness. Try this simple recipe to infuse a healthy and fun twist to your regular bread loaf, with a beautiful swirl of carrot dough!

What you’ll need:

White Bread Dough

  • 150 ml milk (room temperature) 
  • 15 g sugar
  • 3 g dry instant yeast 
  • 10 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 200 g bread flour 
  • 5 g salt

Carrot Dough

  • 50ml carrot juice (bottled or freshly pressed and nicely filtered)
  • 5g sugar
  • 1g dry instant yeast
  • 3g unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 60g bread flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

How to make it:

White Bread Dough

  1. Dissolve sugar in warm milk then stir in the yeast. Rest for 10 mins until mixture becomes foamy.
  2. Add the mixture, bread flour and salt into a stand mixer bowl.
  3. Attach the kneading hook onto the stand mixer and combine all ingredients on low speed 1.
  4. When all ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to 5 or 6 and knead the dough for 20 minutes, until smooth.
  5. Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl.
  6. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F(30°C) or until doubled the size.

Carrot Dough

7. While the white dough is resting, make the carrot dough using the same steps for the white dough above. Ensure the carrot juice is slightly warmed before mixing with the sugar and yeast in step 1.

Combining the Two Doughs

8. Punch the doughs down. Using a rolling pin, roll out roughly to separate rectangles.

9. Place the carrot dough on top of the white dough, then roughly roll the doughs together. Fold the dough at the sides tightly, then place in a greased loaf tin.

10. Cover the combined rolled dough with a wet cloth and stand for 30 minutes.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 365 °F/ 185°C for 25-30 minutes

12. When the dough has risen to be level with the tin, it’s ready to bake.

13. Remove the bread from the tin and cool it down on a rack.

Notes:

  • Have fun and replace the carrot juice with other brightly coloured vegetable or fruit juice (make sure it’s been filtered if freshly pressed).
  • Never mix salt into the yeast mixture as salt slows down yeast fermentation