Spiced Carrot Muffins With Currants and Brown Butter
Author: 
Serves: 16
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1⁄2 cup dried currants
  • 1⁄2 cup water
  • 1 3⁄4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3⁄4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3⁄4 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp grated orange zest
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3⁄4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup peeled and grated carrot
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
  2. To make the brown butter, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium- high heat and cook until the butter solids are browned and smell toasty, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes or a little longer. Watch carefully so the butter does not burn. As the butter browns, the foam rises to the top and dark brown particles stick to the bottom of the pan. As soon as the butter is dark golden brown, pour it into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. Combine the currants with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Simmer until the currants are plump, about 10 minutes. Remove the currants from the heat, drain, and transfer to a small bowl to cool to room temperature.
  4. Into a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger together twice, then set the dry ingredients aside.
  5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium- high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
  6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Without stirring, place the carrots and currants on top of the egg mixture. Then pour the dry ingredients on top and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together. Finally, fold in the browned butter, combining everything thoroughly but gently.
  7. Scoop the muffins into the paper- lined muffin cups, dividing it evenly, using about 3 ounces, or about 1 ⁄3 cup, of batter per muffin.
  8. Bake until the muffins are cooked through and golden, about 18 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through the baking time. A wooden skewer inserted into a muffin should come out with a few crumbs clinging but no batter.
  9. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack about 10 minutes before unmolding.
Notes
Douglas suggests grating the carrot use the largest holes of a box grater. I have no idea where my box grater is or if I still own one. I used the grating disc of my Cuisinart. Douglas also suggests sprinkling the top of each muffin with sanding sugar and salt before baking, which I didn't do, but would be a very nice touch.
Recipe by Sprung At Last at https://sprungatlast.com/2014/01/spiced-carrot-muffins-with-currants-and-brown-butter/