Carrot Quick Bread

I love this trusty recipe. It's super-easy and it always works (well, almost always...read on). And even though it tastes deliciously moist, it has only 1 tablespoon of added fat, no animal product, and uses whole-wheat flour! And it bakes up beautifully in muffin tins, a loaf pan, or a bundt pan. What more could you ask for?

Please note that the carrot mixture must be completely cool before you can proceed with the recipe. I made the mistake of not letting it cool once before adding the flour, and I ended up with completely inedible carrot play-dough!
Carrot Quick Bread/Muffins/Cake (Makes 2 loaves, 20 Muffins, 1 Bundt Cake, or any combination there of).

2 cups grated carrots (5 medium)
2/3 sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup raisins
1 tblsp 'butter'
Mix the above ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 mintues. Take the mixture off the heat and let cool until room-temperature. This will take about 4 hours, and the cake is even better if you can let the carrots rest over night. But it's great even if you don't have time for that.

Preheat the oven to 275 and combine the following ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/8 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired
Stir this mixture into the carrot mass until just combined. Sometimes I find I need to add a touch of extra liquid. Distribute the dough into oiled pans, and bake for 70 minutes if using loaf/cake tins or 30 min for muffins.

Enjoy with a cup of hot tea! If feeling decadent, spread with cream cheese.