Bourbon Carrot Bread
 
 
Jim Davis once said, "Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie." How about Bourbon Carrot Bread? With all the sin of boozy Carrot Cake, hidden in the cloak of a healthy looking loaf? Raisins soaked and carrots sauteed in bourbon, with chunks of sweetened cream cheese (to remind you of icing) suspended in the bread itself? Oh...just to be healthy...throw in some nuts. Walnuts are good for your heart.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch, Snacks, Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup golden raisins, soaked in bourbon (for a day)
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • 1½ cups carrots, grated
  • ½ cup butter, melted (cool slightly)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup turbinado sugar (or white crystal sugar)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, diced
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sanding sugar
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, add the raisins and bourbon and cover for a day to plump the raisins.
  2. In a small skillet, pour any remaining bourbon off the raisins and saute the grated carrots just until the bourbon evaporates.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar and sugar.
  4. Add eggs and beat until fully incorporated.
  5. Stir in the sauteed carrots and raisins.
  6. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest and stir until well mixed.
  7. In a small bowl, toss the cream cheese chunks with the powdered sugar until the chunks are all coated.
  8. Toss the coated powdered sugar creamed cheese into the dry ingredients.
  9. Add the walnuts to the flour mixture.
  10. Stir all of this mixture into the butter/egg/carrot/raisin mixture until just mixed.
  11. Pour the batter into a greased 9" loaf pan.
  12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  13. Put the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven.
  14. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  15. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the loaf pan to cool on a wire rack.
Recipe by The Saucy Southerner at http://www.thesaucysoutherner.com/bourbon-carrot-bread-award-winning-recipe/