Carrot muffins

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 3/4 cups melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins or a combination

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and glossy, about 20 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth and no streaks of unincorporated whites remain before adding the next.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until no pockets of unincorporated flour remain. (Try not to overmix.) Add the grated carrots and optional nuts and raisins (if using) and stir just until the carrot shreds are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups using a cookie scoop or two spoons until they are about three-fourths of the way full. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes are slightly domed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the muffin tin.