Recipe and giveaway!

Along with our friends at Wiley, we are giving away a copy of Weight Watchers' new book Eat!Move!Play! The whole book is based around teaching and feeding children so the whole family leads a healthier lifestyle -- it ties in nicely with all of the recent awareness about obesity in American -- particularly with Michelle Obama's and Jamie Oliver’s initiatives.

Can there be healthy cupcakes? Read on and find out...







Here's a cupcake recipe from the cookbook:

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves 12, Prep time 20 minutes, Bake time 25 minutes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 apple, peeled, cored, and shredded

1/3 cup golden raisins

¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup canola oil

6 ounces fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

Mixed candied fruits for decorating tops (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.

2. Stir the flour, granulated sugar, carrots, apple, raisins, coconut, orange zest, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and oil together in another bowl. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes; remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

3. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat just until creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Make faces or designs on top of the cupcakes with the dried fruit, if using.

So, healthy cupcakes! It can be done. You can enter the contest by submitting your email address in the comment section on or before May 12, 2010 at 5:00 pm ET. Please include your favorite healthy way to enjoy a cupcake (or cupcakes) and we'll randomly choose a winner. Winner will be contacted via email (check your boxes, people!) and the book will be sent directly from the publisher.

Good luck, CTTC'ers!

;)