Kay Nimitz Smith -- Writer, Mom, Goddess in Training: Granini's Glazed Carrots

Granini's Glazed Carrots

source

So I hate cooked carrots.

And I never eat them.

But the thing is, my family loves (!!) glazed carrots. And I mean LOVES them. Loves them as in no matter how many pounds of glazed carrots I make, they will eat them all.

And lick the plate clean.

And ask for more

So that must mean they like my recipe.

So I'll share it with you.

The bummer part is that I've never really written down the recipe. I just wing it. So the amounts may be a little bit off. You'll just have to taste the glaze and see if it tastes just right, and then adjust as necessary. Because, I'm sorry to say, I can't do it for you. If you want to know why, please see below. If you couldn't care less, which I suppose will be 99% of you, please feel free to just read on.

Ingredients:

2 (16 ounce or so) bags of wee baby carrots, OR
3 or 4 large carrots peeled and sliced (at an angle) into 1/2 inch slices (or so)
2 Tablespoons salted butter (if you don't have salted, then just sprinkle on a wee little bit salt)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large squirt honey or maple syrup. Probably 1/8 of a cup? maybe 1/4 of a cup? Depends upon how many carrots. Not too much. Try squirting in just a little, and then tasting it. Then add in more if you need more.

Directions:

**I usually steam the carrots when I have time on Thanksgiving day, and then let them sit in the corner somewhere until I'm ready to make the glaze. I make the glaze as one of the very last things before serving my dinner, because I want them piping hot. Sometimes, I have people start gathering around the buffet before I even start glazing the carrots, just so that they're the last thing out.**

Steam carrots for 5-8 minutes or so, until they're al dente.
Don't oversteam, or they'll be mushy. Drain.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the drained carrots, and stir, until they're all coated with butter. If you have a lot more carrots, feel free to add in a little more butter.
Once the carrots are all coated in butter, sprinkle on top the brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Once all the carrots are coated, squirt in a wee bit of honey or maple syrup. Yep, the kind you put on your pancakes. Stir.

Cook on a medium low heat, stirring often, cook for 3 minutes or so, allowing the ingredients to melt and bubble. Do not overheat or the sugar will burn and ruin your carrots. Once the topping starts smelling delish, dip in the tip of a spoon, blow on it (or you'll burn your tongue), blow on it again, and then give it a good taste. If it needs a wee bit more syrup, or brown sugar, or salt, add in just a weeeee bit more, and mix together. Get a fresh spoon (or wash the first), and taste again. If it tastes good, then you're ready to serve immediately. While piping hot.

Enjoy! That is, if you can get any. I'm guessing they'll all be gone before you even make it around to that end of the buffet.

Click here for more Thanksgiving Recipes

* * * * *

So. If anyone cares, here's why I don't eat carrots.

First of all, I hate cooked carrots.

And I never eat them. I don't know what it is about them that I don't like. The mushy texture, the weird taste? I've tried smothering them in gravy, but that's usually the only way I can gulp them down. But now, get this...

I'm actually allergic to them.

Which is awesome.

Because when you're allergic to something and you hate that something, and you can NEVER EVER EVER eat it again, it's a fine thing.

Best excuse ever.

Because when you're allergic to something and you love that something, and you can never ever ever eat that again, it's a very, very sad thing.

And I know this from first hand experience.

Because I am allergic to SO many things, and I still crave them. Dream about them. Yearn for them. And it's a sad, sad thing.

But, the funny thing about carrots is that I'm not actually allergic to carrots. And no, I'm not cheating. It's that I'm allergic to birch trees. Evidently my body thinks that carrots are birch trees, and every time I try to eat a carrot, my throat closes off, my nose plugs up, and I start going into anaphylactic shock. Because my stupid body can't tell the difference between a carrot and a birch tree.

Which is ridiculous.

But true.

And why I never have to eat my vegetables ever again.

hahahaha.

And I'm not even joking.

* * * * *

Find other tasty Thanksgiving Dinner dishes here: