Carrot Pineapple Bread

I have been really trying to not have so many sweets and treats in the house because I am so sick and tired of being fat.  However, the house just doesn’t seem complete without some kind of goodies around.   Besides, my husband is a big dessert person, so I like to have sweet things around for him, although it makes it very hard for me to resist, and I am usually the one who eats most of them.  So I thought, since I had so many carrots I should make something “healthy” by using some of them for my dessert.  I came across a recipe for carrot pineapple muffins, but I made them into loaves instead.  Healthy, right?  After all, it contains carrots, which we all know are very healthy for us, and pineapples.  I guess it is a good compromise; sort of.  I have something sweet that contains both vegetables and fruit, so it can’t be all that bad.  I left off the cream cheese frosting, so that makes it a bit healthier as well.

Carrot Pineapple Bread

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 8 oz can of pineapple with its juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 TBSP vanilla

2 1/2 cups shredded carrots

2/3 cup raisins, optional

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the eggs and the sugars together at a high speed until they are creamy, for about 2 minutes.  Then add the oil, vanilla and pineapple with its juice and continue to mix at a medium speed until everything is well incorporated.

Add 1/2 the flour and mix, and continue until all the flour is mixed in.  When the batter is made, fold in the shredded carrots and raisins, if using,  I love raisins, but my husband is not a big fan of them.  I already threw in some raisins when I made the drunken chicken, so I did not have the heart to make him eat more raisins.  The Drunken Chicken

Once the batter is done, spray either the muffin pan or the loaf pans with cooking spray.  I used two loaf pans.  Pour the batter evenly into the pans, and bake.  If you are making muffins, bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick that has been inserted into the middle comes out clean.  If making a quick bread, bake for about 1 hour or, again, until the toothpick comes out clean and the bread is lightly golden in color.  Let cool, then remove from the pan.  If you are using a frosting, let the muffins/loaf cool completely before frosting.  I did add a light lemon glaze on top to really bring it all together.