Healthy Carrot Cake Power "Scuffins"

After learning that my youngest son had egg and dairy sensitivities and that those sensitivities were the root cause of his itchy, excema troubled skin, I became fascinated with the idea of vegan baked goods. To be able to produce a cookie, scone, muffin or what have you that is delicious, light, airy and "normal" in texture and taste AND contains no egg and no dairy is no easy task. Trust me.

For 2 years now, I have experimented with, tested, varied and tried many a vegan recipe. Some have been mediocre, some have failed miserably and a few have turned out amazingly well.

Take this little diddy from Angela of Oh She Glows. This "scuffin" (a cross between a scone and a muffin) is absolutely fantastic. It's a great grab and go breakfast if you're running late or an excellent pre-workout snack. The kids love them and I feel good about the whole grains, minimal fat and natural sugar content. And if your kids are "veggie challenged", then you've got even more reason to try these beauties out because with 3 grated carrots added to the mix, you really can't go wrong.

Healthy Carrot Cake Power "Scuffins"
Original recipe adapted from Angela of Oh She Glow’s
Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time:40 minutes. Makes 16 "scuffins"

Ingredients:
• 2 cups whole grain spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking power
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, mixed and set aside for 5 minutes
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots (about 3 medium)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, mix the flax and water and set aside.

In a large sized bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

Using a food processor or grater, process/grate the carrots. In a medium sized bowl mix together the wet ingredients (carrots, vanilla, oil, maple syrup, flax egg mix). Add wet to dry and mix until just incorporated. Stir in raisins.

Scoop mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Scoop about 1/4 cup for each Scuffin to make 12 large scuffins. Wet hands and shape into a circle if desired. Sprinkle with coconut and gently press coconut into the top.

Bake for 22 - 25 minutes at 350F until golden and spring back to the touch.