From Julie Rosso's Fresh Start cookbook.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspooin baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Two 2 1/2-ounce jars baby food strained carrots
1 tablespoon minced orange zest
4 ounces unsweetened crushed pineapple, with juice
3/4 cup loosely packed shredded coconut
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (optional)BR>
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray 18 standard-sized muffin tins with vegetable oil spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add the oil, applesauce, egg, buttermilk, vanilla, strained carrots, orange zest, and crushed pineapple with juice. Mix well. Stir in the coconut.
Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for about 20 minutes longer, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn the muffins out on to a wire rack. Serve warm or cooled and sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container.