Mini carrot cupcakes big on flavor

Photo by Con Poulos for Food Network Magazine

April and May are prime harvest months for Florida carrots. If you buy carrots with green tops still attached, remove them before storing in a plastic bag. I found these baby carrot cupcakes on the Food Network Magazine blog. I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit my taste. That's the great thing about a good batter: You can easily add your own flavor profile. The candied carrot strands garnish add a touch of whimsy and elegance.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes

Yield: 48

Topping:

1 medium carrot

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon spiced rum

Frosting:

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

1/4 teaspoon spiced rum

1. For the topping, peel ribbons from the carrot with a vegetable peeler, then slice the ribbons lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strands (you'll need about 48). Preheat the oven to 250F. Bring the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the carrot strands and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Arrange the strands in squiggles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until dry, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely.

2. For the cupcakes, raise the oven temperature to 350F. Line two 24-cup mini-muffin pans with paper liners. Put the flour, almonds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Whisk the grated carrots, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs and rum in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the mini-muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans to cool completely.

3. For the frosting, Beat the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese and butter with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in the orange juice and rum. Pipe or spread on the cupcakes. Top with the candied carrots.