Last week I noticed LOTS of carrots in the walk-in refrigerator.
My job last week was to chop carrots to add to soup. Within my 50lb. bag there was some rot, bad spots and a need for sorting. I sensed something had to be done if all the carrots were to be used.. My very tiny (VERY TINY) contribution was to take home 1 bag of carrots to grate, a mere 50 lbs of 1250 lbs! I wanted to help make baking with the carrots a possibility.
I tested out a recipe:
CARROT GINGERBREAD WITH SEEDY STREUSEL
(I adapted a pumpkin recipe substituting carrots for pumpkin and altering a couple spices)
This is carrot bread meets gingerbread in a cake using three kinds of ginger - fresh, ground and crystallized.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tbl. sesame seed
- 1/8+ chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 6 Tbl. unsalted butter, cut-up
- 1 tsp. baking powder (1 1/2 lower elevations)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. allspice
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 3" piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp.)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" square pan.
- For streusel: In medium bowl combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the sesame seeds, crystallized ginger, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Work in cut-up butter ( I use my hands to start).
- In a large bowl combine remaining 1 1/3 cup flour, 1 Tbl. ground ginger, the baking powder, remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon, the baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, the nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
- In a medium bowl whisk together carrots, oil, brown sugar and remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the eggs, and the fresh ginger. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well mixed.
- Pour into prepared pan; 'sprinkle' with streusel. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.