I've got carrot cake on the brain with hints of spring rolling in and Easter around the corner.  Growing up, my mother always loved carrot cake and I couldn't get past the concept of carrots in a cake.  So, I never had it.  It wasn't until the last 10-15 years or so that I took the plunge and ate some really well made carrot cake and was completely blown away by how amazing it was.  To think of all those pieces of wonderful cake I missed for all those years.

One of my all time favorite carrot cake recipes is this recipe here by Mom On Time Out.  It's pretty amazing.  Today, I've made a healthier carrot cake muffin, but I think this recipe may blur the line between a muffin and a cupcake.  We're using whole wheat flour, no refined sugars and the "frosting" is part cream cheese and part plain greek yogurt for a protein punch.

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

For the Muffin
- 1 3/4 cups shredded carrots (approximately 4 average size carrots shredded)
-1 x 8 oz can crushed pineapple
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

For the "Frosting"
-4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup paleo powdered sugar or your sweetener of choice
-1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, vanilla, eggs, milk and Greek yogurt into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add in the dry ingredients of the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix together.  Fold in the shredded coconut.

Scoop approximately 1/3 cup of the batter into each muffin well (you can also use paper liners in the muffin tin if you prefer).  Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.  Test to ensure they are done baking by inserting a toothpick or knife into the center of a muffin and it should come out clean.  Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.

While the muffins cool, prep the frosting by combining the cream cheese and Greek yogurt in the large bowl of a stand mixer or you can use a hand mixer as well.  Mix on low/medium until well mixed together.  Add in the paleo powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until fully mixed together.  Place the frosting in the fridge to chill for approximately 20 minutes.

Once the muffins are cooled and the frosting chilled, top each muffin with some frosting and sprinkle some shredded coconut for a garnish.  Enjoy! (These muffins should be stored in the fridge if they aren't being used all at once).

Do you ever just need a chocolate cake? I don't think it's just me, but it maybe it is.  I can't help but remember the Sex and the City episode with Miranda and the chocolate cake.  This might date me as my early twenties involved some time binge watching that show when binge watching involved the "be kind and rewind" notice on the VHS tape before returning it to Blockbuster.  And will my kids ever know the horror of getting to a Blockbuster only to find out that the one movie or season of a show that you want to watch is already rented by someone else? This might be the equivalent of my parents being required to walk to school in horrible weather, up hill...both ways.

This recipe has you covered In the event you find yourself wanting a chocolate cake and you a) don't want to drive to a bakery or go through the joyful hassle of making an entire cake and b) you don't want an entire chocolate cake waiting around in the kitchen just looking at you.  Thanks to Bobs Red Mill, their coconut sugar and tapioca flour make this grain free and refined sugar free as well.

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

For the Cake
-1 egg
-2 TBS vanilla almond milk
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-3 TBS tapioca flour
-1/8 tsp salt (just a tiny bit)
-1 TBS coconut sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 TBS unsweetened baking cocoa

For the glaze
-1 tsp peanut butter
-1 tsp paleo powdered sugar (I use and keep some of this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine in my cupboard but you can substitute your sweetener of choice here...it's only 1 tsp)
-1 tsp vanilla almond milk
-1 tsp chocolate chips for sprinkling on top

Directions
Spray the inside of a microwave safe mug with non-stick cooking spray.  Crack the egg into the mug and beat with a fork.  Add the vanilla almond milk and vanilla extract.  Use the fork to mix together well.  Then add the dry ingredients of the tapioca flour, unsweetened baking cocoa, salt and baking powder.  Mix together very well with the fork until a smooth batter forms.  Place in the microwave and cook on high for 2 1/2 minutes.  The mug cake will rise a good bit in the mug.  Once finished cooking, remove from microwave and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.

Mix the glaze together while the mug cake sits and rests.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of the mug cake, sprinkle with chocolate chips and done! Other options are to top with whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!

Foods that scream weekend to me include donuts, waffles and pancakes.  It's amazing that recipes with different ratios and techniques of combining almost identical ingredients of flour, eggs etc. result in amazingly different and delicious treats.  When I think of donuts, I think of Sunday mornings after mass...and how many times donuts were promised just to get us out of the house for mass. Yes, I will get into those ridiculously itchy and uncomfortable tights for a chance of sprinkles and a glazed frosting. This may still be as true at 40 as it was at 7.

This week's donut recipe is a bit grown up with the flavor combination of chai tea and chocolate, which has quickly become one of my favorite and coziest flavor combos. The donut is baked and also comprised of gluten free flour and coconut sugar instead of refined sugar.  There is no skimping on chocolate though and I'm in love with the glaze.  The glaze uses the paleo powdered sugar recipe by Joy Food Sunshine and I'm telling you that this chocolate glaze does not taste refined sugar free.  I had a little bit left over and might have used it as an ice cream topping for a win. Ok, these delicious treats only take 10 minutes in the oven so let's get going on what we'll need to get them there!

Ingredients (makes 9 donuts)

For the Donut
-4 TBS melted butter
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-3 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup coconut sugar
-1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp espresso
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-3 TBS loose chai tea (approximately 3 tea bags worth of tea)

For the Glaze
-6 TBS Coconut Milk
-1/2 cup Paleo Powdered Sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 TBS unsweetened cocoa
-1/4-1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut for sprinkling

Directions
Spray the wells of a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the eggs, butter, coconut milk, coconut sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Add in the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and chai tea.  Mix until a thick batter comes together.  Using a spoon, scoop the batter into each of the donut wells and spread to fill the entire well.  Lightly tap the donut pan on the counter to help the batter settle into the wells.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes (these donuts rise quite a bit).

Prepare the chocolate glaze by mixing the paleo powdered sugar, cocoa, coconut milk and vanilla extract a thick glaze forms.  Once the donuts have cooled, dip them one at a time in the chocolate glaze and then sprinkle with flaked coconut. Pour a cup of coffee and enjoy!